Nightmare Apocalypse
by ElizabethScaffie
Summary: Feliciano Vargas wakes up in a destroyed city with no memory. He soon discovers that the city isn't 'normal', for there are these Nightmares, monsters that feed on humans...He will find other survivors and learn more of the new world, but will he be able to learn more about himself too? And just what are these REDs? Fail!summary, NO yaoi! Gerita SpaMano & others and brotherly love!
1. Ve?

_**[EDIT: ciao everybody! thank you so much for clicking this story! So, first things first. Let me tell you that the beginning of this fanfic might be a bit boring. But that is because I have to set up things. Trust me, it gets better, and better, and better! This is my warning. Still, if you don't like this story, I am sorry; and if I managed to bore you, trust me it was not done intentionally...! That being said, here begins the story called Nightmare Apocalypse!]**_

**Oh my GOD i cant believe i'm actually making this! ok, this is my first fanfiction. i really REALLY liked the idea of this and so actually decided to write it down! i know this is a small chapter (its a prologue, DUH) but i think the next ones will be longer. know that im not english so its a bit of an effort to write in english! if i make any mistakes, i'd be more than happy to take care of it.**

**aaand...enjoy**

**Prologue : Ve?**

When he opened his eyes the first thing he saw was a cloudy sky. It wasn't peaceful, it actually looked angry, and ready to start a storm.

His head hurt. He hissed as he sat up bringing his left hand to the back of the head. It stung. Badly. When he looked at his hand again the fingertips were covered in blood.

He had the strangest urge to cry. Tears began to form in his eyes, and he looked around. And his surroundings only scared him.

Destroyed buildings, like fallen trees with iron and concrete roots going up in the sky. Twisted lamp posts were sprouting here and there. Rubble decorated it all like grass or moss dotted by smashed vehicles.

"Ve…" he whispered. What did he say?

_Actually…_

Where the hell was he?

Why did his head hurt?

And… _who _was he?!

Wait…that at least he remembered. His name was… something with an F. F…Feli… something like that. And a V somewhere.

"Ve…" he said again, now trying to stand up. He was wearing leather boots and blue pants. His left hand had a little blood on it and the right hand was bandaged.

Something didn't look right with the bandaged one.

Now fully standing, as he tried to peel the bandages off, he remembered something and dropped the piece of white cloth.

"F-Feliciano Vargas!" he exclaimed. "Ve…! That's my name!"

He even briefly wondered why he could remember talking, but forgot all about it and made a little joy dance for remembering his name.

Something stirred near him, making a noise over the rubble and destroyed concrete.

"Ve…?" he cautiously looked behind his back and saw something really, really ugly.

Something that could have come from a nightmare. It was black-grey thing, shaped like a bug of the size of a small car. Its eyes glowed toxic, radioactive green and so did some other places on its body.

It didn't look really happy.

"V…v…" he stammered taking a few steps back.

The thing leapt and went for him.

"_VEEEEEEE!_" he screamed like a professional female opera singer and ran away as fast as he could through the destroyed city.


	2. Bless you!

**Aaand here is chapter 2! sorry, i'm a bit of a klutz, i needed 15-20 minutes to figure out how to upload new chapters... dangit.**

**anyway!**

**enjoy...**

"This is a waste of time…" sighed the blond.

"Please, have patience. I know it was here somewhere. It was near a twisted stop sign…"

The blond rolled his eyes. "Oh, and _how many_ stop signs could there be in a city?"

The second person seemed offended. "I remember because it was twisted in a strange way! And it was near a statue of some sort."

"Now _that's_ more like it." Smiled the blond.

They desperately needed new ammo supplies and medicines. They got the medicines, but they were having a tough time finding the ammo. They had been searching all day, and dusk was nearing.

"I hope you find it soon, because the night is coming. Fast." Ludwig said turning the wheel of the jeep they were riding through the rubble of the city.

Kiku strained his eyes and neck to search for that damn stop sign and weird statue. "I know, Ludwig-san."

He then spotted the mass of molten metal that once represented a statue. "There! And I see the sign too! Quick, make haste!"

Ludwig speeded up and in no time they were searching through the rubble to find an entrance of some sort. They found it, and they were satisfied with what they got. A whole lot of knives of all sizes, some guns, two rifles and a load of ammo. They even found raw gunpowder. "_Wunderbar_! Now we can make dynamite or grenades." Smiled Ludwig, carrying everything to the back of the jeep.

Then they heard something move somewhere. The Nightmares were beginning to stir, because the night was falling. Kiku moved faster. He didn't want to encounter the ones that woke up earlier than normal.

He jumped in the car, Ludwig already at the wheel. Then, suddenly, a Nightmare appeared on their right.

"Move!" shouted Kiku, and then going into a full stream of Japanese words that Ludwig didn't understand. He didn't actually care. He was more preoccupied trying to escape from the monster. Its glowing spots were toxic green, Ludwig noticed, so he was a fresh one. A fresh one, a newbie, whatever you may call it. Green glow meant weak. But that didn't mean it walked around wearing a t-shirt with "Free hugs! J" printed on it.

Ludwig took off with screeching tires through the bumpy and torn-up leftovers of a main road.

They soon left the Nightmare behind, but then Kiku heard someone yelling. "What is that?" he asked the German.

"Vhat." Grumbled the man.

"That noise! It's someone screaming! We must go help him or her!"

Ludwig tried to listen over the noise the car made, and he definitely screaming. Couldn't make out if it was a man or a woman, though. Too high-pitched, probably a woman.

"Alright, let's go." Grumbled the German, turning the jeep to the right.

"VEEEEE! Somebody help meeee! _Aiutoooo_! HEEELP!" Feliciano screamed at the top of his lungs. The thing was still following him, jumping or running over rubble.

Feli's head hurt, and his right hand too. It must have been wounded, probably the reason why it was wrapped in bandages. And it was getting pretty dark, too! Feliciano was terrified.

"Heeeeeelp! Somebodyyyy!" he screamed again, now crying big tears. He had little hope finding anybody in that dead city.

He suddenly stumbled over his own feet and fell face-first on the ground, and heard the thing coming nearer behind him. He didn't try to stand up, he would only look at the horrid face before dying. He didn't want that. He wanted to remind himself of something or somebody he cared about before dying, but he didn't remember anything. That _was _a little depressing. He cried some more, covering his head with his arms.

Suddenly he remembered a prayer. Didn't remember from where, or from who. But he started to murmur, trembling.

"_A-ave Maria, piena di grazia…_"

He put his hands together and prayed faster.

"_…Il Signore è con t-te…Tu sei b-benedetta fra le donne, e-e benedetto è il frutto del tuo s-seno, Gesù…S-santa Maria, m-madre di Dio…Prega per noi peccatori…_"

The thing made his awful distorted growl over him. He felt drool drip on his neck.

"_A-Adesso…E n-nell'ora della nostra m-morte. A-amen_."

Something then exploded over him. Or rather, someone shot the thing away from him. Feliciano didn't see that shadow over him anymore, so he lifted his head to see what happened, still trembling.

The thing was toppled on his side, legs moving madly. Then Feliciano heard a _click-click_ of a gun being reloaded. A blond, rather tall and big man was standing on top of some rubble with a rifle. Or something like that.

The blond aimed again at the thing, and one of its glowing spots opened like a blossoming green flower.

_So that were probably its weak spots! _ Thought the little man. For the rest, the thing looked pretty good shielded. But the vulnerable spots were pretty big.

The thing shrieked with that distorted sound it made, and then stopped moving, green liquid oozing from its two wounds and pooling under the corpse.

"Hey!" shouted the man with the rifle, waving a hand. "Get up here! We're leaving!"

Feliciano never had never felt so happy as when he hopped in the jeep. Well, it was the first time, too, that he was actually _feeling_ happy. But that didn't matter.

Someone else was sitting in the car, who helped him in. he bowed his head a little. "Kiku Honda, a pleasure to meet you." He said with a strange accent. He looked kind of strange too, to Feliciano. He was smaller than him, had black short hair and small, deep brown eyes.

Feliciano flashed a smile. "Oh, _ciao_! _Piacere_! I'm Feliciano Vargas!" he said, taking with both hands the right hand of the little man and shaking it vigorously.

The tall man of the rifle then jumped in the jeep and rode away as fast as he could, not bothering to say his name. So Feliciano asked.

"Ludwig Beilshmidt. _Angenehm_." He grunted, steering right and left through the rubble and avoiding waking Nightmares.

"Bless you!" Feliciano exclaimed, misunderstanding what the German said.

"No, Feliciano-kun. He said 'Pleasure' in German." Kiku corrected him.

"Oooh. Ok!" the Italian smiled.

Ludwig thought something was…off, of the Italian boy. And he could have sworn by the screams that he was a lady. But… he just seemed too cheerful and carefree.

He glanced at the two who were talking in the back through the mirror. Well, talking, it was more about Feliciano ranting about how scary it all was and Kiku nodding every now and then. Ludwig then saw Kiku smiling. Actually _smiling_. Kiku? He didn't know it was possible.

He shook his head and concentrated on the road, finding the way home.

**Aaand Lutz and Kiku make their entrance! hell yeah. here are the translations! and i just added the prayer because i thought it fit well there. im not religious, let it be clear. :3**

**_Wunderbar_:** (german) wonderful

**_Aiuto!_:** (italian) Help!

**_Ave Maria, piena di grazia, il Signore è con te. Tu sei benedetta fra le donne, e benedetto è il frutto del tuo seno, Gesù. Santa Maria, madre di Dio, prega per noi peccatori. Adesso e nell'ora della nostra morte._ :** (italian) Hail Mary, full of grace, our Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death.

**_Piacere!_ :** (italian) Pleased(to meet you)!

**_Angenehm _:** (german) Pleased(to meet you)


	3. Fourth phase

**I discovered the horizontal line! finally! anyway, here is chapter 2, edited (i hope) of all the mistakes i make!**

**anyway,**

**ENJOY**

* * *

Soon Ludwig saw the rocky mountain they called home. It was once called the "Orphan mountain" because it was set in the middle of a plain rocky desert. It wasn't really that high, and was a little bit flat on top, too. They just called it the Rock.

Ludwig sighed. Feliciano hadn't stopped talking all the trip. He decided to ask him a question.

"Hey, Feliciano!" he exclaimed.

"_Sì?_" the Italian turned his head away from Kiku, who sighed, happy not to be forced again to listen to the man's ranting.

"What the _hell_ were you doing out there alone?"

Feliciano pouted, seriously _pouted_ as he thought. "Uuh… I don't remember." He then said, smiling.

"You're kidding me, right?" asked the blond, not buying it.

"No, really! I just woke up in that creepy city all alone, and then this really ugly and scary monster began chasing me! I don't remember anything besides my name, _lo giuro!_"

"So you don't know what those…monsters are?" Kiku asked.

"Nope!" Feliciano chirped.

"Really now." The German said drily. He didn't believe him.

"You don't believe me?" asked the Feliciano, almost starting to cry.

"_Nein_." The boy was hiding something. He just knew it.

"B-but I'm telling the truth! Kiku, you believe me, right?" the Italian placed both hands on the Japanese's shoulders, looking him in the eyes.

Kiku waited some moments before answering. He was good at reading the atmosphere, and at knowing when people were lying too. When he looked in the glittering brown orbs of Feliciano he didn't see a liar.

"He's not lying, Ludwig-san."

Ludwig was aware of the ability of the Japanese, but still snorted. He wouldn't trust him…yet.

"But…If you don't trust me…then why did you save me and let me in the jeep?" asked Feliciano, confused. Why did he shoot the monster down if he didn't trust him?

"Survivors have to stay together. Every man counts." Replied Ludwig, like a soldier would say it.

Kiku smiled apologetically. "Don't worry, he'll get used to you. He's always like that with newbies," he whispered.

"Ok…" the Italian put the tips of his index fingers together and fidgeted. Then he remembered to ask something. "Uh, but…survivors- _ahia!_ – of what?" Feliciano bumped his head on the window when the road got even bumpier as they rode up the mountain through narrow passages.

Kiku noticed Ludwig rolling his eyes, but decided to ignore it. "Do you know of the Nightmares?"

"Of course! The nightmares are bad dreams!" Feliciano chirped, satisfied he knew something.

Kiku shook his head. "No, Feliciano-kun. I mean Nightmares, with a capital N."

"No…What are they? Wait, is the monster that was chasing me a Nightmare?" Feliciano said, making a connection.

"_Hai_." The Japanese nodded.

"Eeep! Scaryyy! But where do they come from?"

"Did you really lose all your memory?" asked Kiku. Feliciano nodded, wanting to hear more.

"Then I shall tell you the tale of those creatures. Three years ago, some terrible nuclear accident happened in Russia. They didn't classify it as a big deal back then, because almost no damage was made, and they didn't find that much radioactivity. But after some weeks, thing began to change."

Feliciano was curled up with his knees up to his chest, as if he were listening to a horror story.

"The animals began acting strange, attacking people, getting aggressive. They soon mutated and deformed into horrible creatures, and were referred to as 'Nightmares'. They were bloodthirsty mindless monsters. But it didn't end there. This it what people call 'The First phase'. The Second phase began as the _people_ who were close to the nuclear plant started to change too, becoming Nightmares. And even if some were strong enough to still be able to think, most were reduced to mindless killing machines too. The infection began spreading like a disease. Mostly because the Nightmares were radioactive, and every person or animal they wounded became infected, but the radioactivity in general that wasn't detected before helped too. The people who weren't infected soon fled in other countries, but something went wrong, because even with border controls the Nightmares spread all over the place. First Russia, then China at the same time as Europe. Africa and the rest of Asia were infected soon, too. America, Australia and Japan lasted longer, but after a year from the Disaster they began infecting too."

Feliciano was now really worried and scared. What if Ludwig had fired too late? Would he have become a Nightmare too?

"Then, the Third phase came. The radioactivity subdued, and people stopped mutating on their own. The humans started to fight back more convinced, and what was left of the armies was used to exterminate large packs of them. The Nightmares didn't expect it, and were slow to react and mostly unorganized. Then, the few Nightmares who could still think stroke back, pulverising everything they came across. They targeted cities, airplanes, tanks and factories, so the humans wouldn't be able to strike back, or at least not with enough force. And then, the Fourth phase, the one we are living in. A blocked situation."

"…Blocked?" asked the Italian, almost afraid of hearing what was coming.

"_Hai_. The Nightmares were severely reduced in numbers, but humans were as well. And humans didn't have enough power to inflict big damage anymore, so they began to hide. As _we_ do now. The Nightmares are still interested in eating or infecting human beings, filling the cities and the countryside wandering around aimlessly until they catch sight of a human. But the thinking Nightmares don't show themselves anymore, or make any move. We do not know where they are, but we know they are a very small number, less than ten, anyway. And that brings the story to _us_, the survivors, hiding in mountains." Kiku said with a little smile, gesturing to himself and Feliciano.

Feliciano didn't know if Kiku had planned it, but exactly in that moment they entered in the darkness of the mountain.

"Ve!" he jumped, startled. Ludwig just rolled his eyes again.

* * *

**gee, am i cruel. anyway, in the next chapter new characters will be introduced, don't worry! **

**translations: **

**_lo giuro!_**** :** _(italian) I swear!_

_**ahia!**__ :_ _(italian)ouch!_


	4. Hug?

**OooOOOh, new characters!**

**sweet.**

**enjoy the new chapter! :3**

* * *

Four men were standing in a dim-lit cave. One light bulb was the one and only light source, besides the starlight that was beginning to light up the night sky. It had been cloudy all day, but in the evening it had cleared up a bit.

"How do you think they're doing out there?" said a man. He was the smallest of the four.

"Well, I certainly don't bloody care. Its almost night and they'd better be back or else…" grumbled another one. His blond hair was pretty messed up.

"Or else you'll cook for them. Again! Hahaha!" laughed a third, patting the blond on the shoulder.

"Shut your trap, bloody git." He replied with a British accent.

"Hm." Grunted a fourth, the tallest of them all, slapping the third man on the back of his head.

"Ow! Berwald, Artie, you're NO fun." Complained the third, offended.

"Shut it, Mathias. I think I heard them." Snapped Arthur, the blond British. "And don't call me Artie."

"But, Artie…!" whined Mathias, rubbing the back of his head and glaring at Berwald, who just looked in another direction.

"Please, stop arguing! Arthur's right, they're coming!" said the first man, excited.

"Ya sure, Tino?" asked Mathias, nearing him.

They heard the motor of a jeep. "Yep, I'm sure!"

"They are late. I mean, really late." Stated the British.

Tino gasped. "Maybe something happened!"

Mathias snickered. "Silly Tino, you heard the car! They're already here, don't worry, pal." He said hugging the Fin's shoulders. "They probably just got lost. Maybe Ludwig saw a beer and got distracted for a while."

Another smack echoed in the place. "Ow! Hey, what was that for?!" exclaimed Mathias glaring at Berwald.

"F'r being stoopid" grumbled the tall Swede with a heavy accent.

"Again, Berwald, you're just no fun."

"They're here!" Tino waved as the jeep took the last turn and lighted them up with its lights.

The jeep rode some meters, and then came to a halt, turning off.

"What took you so long, you irresponsible idiots." Complained Arthur, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yeah! I mean, Artie got all worried and _I_ got worried he was going to _cook_ again." Complained Mathias, earning another back-head slap, this time from Arthur.

Ludwig stepped out of the vehicle. "We're sorry, but we had a hard time finding the ammunition Kiku came across with the other day. And…we got some complications." He sighed.

"Complications?" Arthur raised a thick eyebrow.

Kiku stepped out and held his hand out for someone inside the jeep. Now the four men were really curious.

A small man stepped out of the vehicle, about the same high of Tino. And he looked rather frail and thin. In the dim light they could make out light brown-reddish hair, and the strangest curl popping up on his left side. He was wearing a white tank, blue pants and brown leather boots. Arthur noticed immediately his right bandaged hand, and some blood behind his neck.

"Just who _is_ this guy?" Mathas asked Ludwig, pointing exaggeratedly with both hands to Feliciano.

"He can talk for himself, _dummkopf_. Anyway, we found him in the city all alone while he was being attacked by a Nightmare."

"Yeah! And it was really scary! But Ludwig saved me! So I am still alive and well!" exclaimed Feliciano suddenly. "Hello everybody! My name is Feliciano Vargas! Pleased to meet you!" he stepped nearby, holding his right hand in the air, unsure who to give it to.

Tino was the first one to recover from Feliciano's bubbly behaviour. "Pleased to meet you!_Nimeni on_ _Tino_!"

"Eh?" asked the Italian, cocking his head to one side, puzzled.

Tino sighed. He had hoped that the man could talk Finnish, but of course that was a _very _remote possibility. "My name is Tino" he repeated, smiling.

"Oh! _Piacere!_" Feliciano chirped.

"B'rwald." Said the tall man in a gruff voice, not taking his hand.

"Pleased to meet you too!" Feliciano was oblivious to his glare.

"_Hej_, I'm the coolest guy here! Pleased to meet'cha! _Mit navn er Mathias_, and that's Danish for my name is Mathias!" The tall blond took his hand with two, and similarly to what Feliciano did to Kiku earlier, he shook vigorously. "Pple-e-e-e-e-a-se-ed to-o mme-e-et you-u to-o-o!" The only difference was that Mathias was much stronger than Feliciano, and so by the sheer force of the shaking he fell butt-first on the hard ground.

"Oh my God, Feli, _hvordan har du det_?!" the Dane asked.

"Don't worry about Mathias, Feliciano. He's a stupid wanker. Let me help you up." Said Arthur holding out his hand to offer his help.

"Hey! I heard that!" exclaimed Mathias on the background.

Feliciano looked up with big, round eyes. "_Grazie!_" he cheered, getting up again. "So who are you?"

"I'm Arthur, pleased." He replied politely, almost making a little bow.

Berwald clapped his hands once to get everyone's attention.

"Wh't d'd yoo get?" he asked Ludwig.

"Oh, right. The stuff." Mumbled Mathias. Everyone had kind of forgotten about it.

While Tino, Berwald and Mathias helped Ludwig take everything out of the jeep, Kiku noticed something.

"Oh my God, Feliciano-kun!"

"What is it, Kiku?" asked the Italian, worried.

"You're bleeding! No, not bleeding anymore. But wounded!"

Arthur showed up out of nowhere. "Yeah. Didn't you notice?"

"No. I apologize, _gomena-sai, Feliciano-kun_." He bowed his head a little, shamed.

"Don't. But he'll have to come with me for treatment. _Now_ we got medicine!" said Arthur with a smile.

"What? No! I don't want scary needles! Kiku, help meee!" the Italian almost immediately began to cry as he hugged the Japanese tightly.

Arthur was stunned. Kiku forced the corners of his mouth to smile a little, _very _uncomfortable from the sudden hug. He had to fight his instinct not to push him away immediately. "Don't worry, Arthur-san will not make use of needles."

Two teary brown eyes looked up to Arthur. "You promise?" Feliciano sniffed.

The Englishman smiled warmly, composing himself. "Of course I promise. And a gentleman always keeps his promises." He then turned around. "Follow me then, please."

Feliciano released his hold on Kiku and followed Arthur through the only 'door' of the rocky place(it looked more like a hole in the wall).

Kiku sighed, relieved, and then turned around to see four blonds staring at him. Ludwig was frowning, still holding a box of medicines, and Berwald was glaring as usual, but Tino and Mathias were trying hard not to burst into laughter.

The small man's face got all red suddenly. "W-what's so funny?!" he asked, ready to be offended, especially by Mathias.

"Dude!" said Dane began laughing. "The maximum people can get close to you is at 1 meter radius. And this guy just totally hugged you! It wasn't funny, it was _hilarious_." Mathias said, gasping for air.

Tino chuckled. "I must admit, it was a bit funny." He said with his gentle voice, trying not to hurt the small man's feelings.

Kiku just turned around mumbling some Japanese curses under his breath, passing the stone passageway, Mathias laughter following him by echoing through the walls.

* * *

**LoL, poor Kiku. XD **

**anyway, here are the translations! I'll be uploading weekly, i presume. probably friday evening, and if i have inspiration even before that!**

**_dummkopf : _**_(german)idiot_

**_Nimeni on_****_Tino : _**_(finnish)my name is Tino_

**_Mit navn er Mathias : _**_(danish)my name is Mathias_

**_hvordan har du det? : _**_(danish)are you all right?_

**_gomena-sai, Feliciano-kun : _**_(japanese)I'm sorry, Feliciano_


	5. Meet Arthur the Medic

**woah, chapter 5 already! and i uploaded last chapter yesterday! gosh**

**anyway! here i explain some things, while other are left unsaid(tee hee hee)! **

**ENJOY**

* * *

"Whoaaa! What is this place?" Feliciano wondered, turning around while he was walking and looking up. Arthur was leading him to the infirmary, hopefully to help him with his headache and head wound. He was holding an old-looking oil lamp, like the ones once used in mines.

"This is our home. Here we eat, we cook, we sleep and hide from the Nightmares." Answered Arthur casually.

"Ooh! I get it!" he chirped.

Arthur frowned. The boy was too cheerful. Or he was nuts, or…

He remembered the blood on the back of the neck of Feliciano.

_What if he had taken a harsh blow to the head?_

Arthur moved a curtain from a passageway and entered into his medical room. "Everyone here has a job to do. Kiku and Ludwig go out searching for supplies one week, Berwald and Mathias the other. Tino mainly focuses on getting something on our plates, and I specialize in medicine, in case one of us gets hurt." He said, gesturing around the room.

Feliciano "Oooh"ed, looking around with big round brown eyes.

The room-cave-thingy was pretty big, not as big as the 'dining room' they had passed a while earlier, but still big. A recycled metal table was standing in the middle, and the walls were almost fully covered by stacks of boxes and homemade shelves with some books. Two smaller tables were leaning against the back of the room, full of instruments and sheets of paper. Under the tables were some plastic containers of some sort. Jars and shiny objects glittered in the yellow light of the oil lamp Arthur was holding.

The Englishman hung the lamp on one wall, took some cloth out of nowhere, folded it and put it on the table as well, as a pillow.

Arthur gestured to it. "Sit there please, so I may take a look at you." In the meantime he lit another lamp in that room, for better light.

"Sure!" Feliciano said, sitting on the cloth and swinging his legs back and forth.

"I'm going to clean your head wound now, tell me if it hurts, alright?" Arthur took a small metal bucket of water (out of nowhere, again) and came near him.

"Hm-hm!" smiled the boy. Arthur began doing his work.

"Arthur?"

"Yes?" The blond said, dipping a piece of cloth in the water, to clean the dried blood.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Pray, tell me."

Feliciano fiddled with his fingers, lowering his head, earning a "Don't move!". Feliciano almost had a jump-scare.

"Sorry. Please tell me." Sighed Arthur. He continued with his fingers in the Italian's hair, now that the dried blood was removed from the hair and neck, to find the wound on the head.

"Is it ok for me to stay here?" the Italian asked.

Arthur's eyes widened at the innocence of the question. "Of course! Why wouldn't it be ok?"

Feliciano continued fiddling. "Ludwig didn't seem all too happy about bringing me in. even if it was him who saved me! And you all looked surprised in that cave …" he paused a little. "…I don't know."

The Englishman's eyes and heart softened. Something he hadn't felt in some time. "Ludwig has a difficult personality. He wasn't like that, but…he changed. Don't worry about him. He just has problems _trusting_ people. We've been sheltering together here for more than a year now, but he only goes out with Kiku. And for that to happen, we had to wait for five months or so." He chuckled. "Mathias used to complain all day about the fact that he was tired. He was always shifting with Berwald and Tino, and most of the times all three of them went out together. Not really a wise choice, but it's Mathias we're talking about."

He found the wound on the head. A big gash, and as he touched it lightly, Feliciano whimpered.

"Sorry. But anyway, if that's what you're worried about, stop worrying. You're very welcome here at the Rock."

Feliciano smiled. "'_Survivors have to stay together. Every man counts_.' That's what Ludwig said."

"Yes, that definitely sounds like Ludwig. What were you doing out in the city all alone, anyway?" Arthur finally asked. "You said Ludwig saved you?"

Feliciano nodded, earning another "Don't move!".

"_Sì_, he saved me!"

Arthur frowned. He was growing suspicious now. A _man,_ all alone in the city?

_What if… _He walked around the table and gave the little man a worried stare. "Feliciano, I'm serious. What were you doing in the city all alone?"

Feliciano gulped. "I-I…" he gulped again, fiddling his fingers more nervously. What did he do wrong? "I d-don't remember…"

"Feliciano, don't lie to me. We welcomed you, you can stay here, but we have to _trust_ each other." _But, maybe that blow to the head caused him memory loss…could be that. But I ought to be better safe than sorry…_ "So tell me the truth." He looked in Feliciano's eyes.

Feliciano was scared now. What if he didn't believe him? Would he throw him out? But then he would have to deal with those scary monsters! He started ranting. "I swear, I s-solemnly swear that I don't remember! Please,_ per favore_, I beg you, I don't want to go out there again where those scary monsters are! I'm telling you the truth! I woke up in the middle of this city, and then, and then…!" Feliciano was gasping for air, and tears were pooling in his eyes. "…and then this really scary monster showed up and started chasing me! I ran, but then I tripped and fell and I started praying and then Ludwig showed up out of nowhere and shot the thing and saved me and then I met Kiku and in the car Ludwig also didn't believe me but Kiku did so he told me this weird story about a disaster and…!"

Arthur halted him by raising a hand. "Wait, wait. _Kiku_ believed you?"

Feliciano nodded eagerly, big, shiny tears in the corners of his eyes.

The Englishman shook his head and smiled. Feliciano was telling the truth, as bizarre as it was. If Kiku trusted him immediately then he, Arthur, would do also. "I believe you."

Feliciano almost didn't believe it, an brightened all up, smiling hopefully. "Really?"

Arthur nodded, and returned to treating the wound. Feliciano, miraculously remained silent the whole time, in bliss. They weren't going to throw him out! He could _stay!_

The Englishman in the meantime did all he could: rinse the wound, smear some disinfectant(freshly brought in by Ludwig and Kiku), before wrapping a tight bandage around the Italian's head. _You never know, the wound could have been caused by claws…even if it looks more like he has fallen._

Feliciano winced when the antibiotic was rubbed in. It stung badly.

"I'm done here. Now, show me your hand, please." Said the blond.

"_Sissignore!_" smiled Feliciano, giving him the hand.

Arthur unwrapped the bandages, murmuring "These sure are a lot of bandages…" and then gasped as they finally came off. "What the bloody hell…?!"

"What is it…ah!" wondered the Italian, and then, too, gasped, staring at his hand.

His hand had a horrible looking wound on it. No, it wasn't a wound, it wasn't bleeding. It looked more like the flesh had ripped open from the place between his thumb and index, to the right side of the wrist. It was open like a mouth, and in the wound something faintly glowed. Faintly, but _glowed_. It almost looked like one of the weak spots of the Nightmares…

"No…no!…what is it?" asked Feliciano frightened to Arthur. "Am I going to turn into a Nightmare…?!" he squeaked.

"I…I…don't know, honestly. Probably not. It's not Nightmare infection, from what I can see…" Arthur furrowed his bushy eyebrows, inspecting the hand.

Feliciano almost immediately felt relieved. "Really? _Oh, grazie al cielo_."

"Nightmare Infection shows itself by turning the infected subject's eyes green, and then by manifesting scales on the subject's skin…" Arthur enunciated like he was reading a text book. "Or by mutating the subject's regular limbs and bones structure…" he thought a little more, before releasing the hand and straightening up, saying: "No. It's definitely not Nightmare Infection. But that's the only thing I'm sure of, along with the fact that you are not a RED."

"So I do not have to go away?" asked Feliciano smiling happy, inspecting his hand, turning it to the left and to the right, observing the thing's very faint glow.

"No, you don't. But you will have to come to me here every day. I'll check upon that _thing_, and in the meantime figure out what it is. Don't tell anyone here about it, understood?" He took a new roll of clean bandages, wrapping the hand again many times to make sure you couldn't see the glow and the wrinkles of the skin where the thing opened.

Feliciano looked up, surprised. "_Perchè?_"

"Because we're all on edge, here. Especially Ludwig. We don't want them to mistake you for a RED now, do we?" explained the blond, finished with bandaging and motioning to the Italian to get off the table.

"A RED?" Feliciano asked, confused. "Arthur, what is a RED?"

The Englishman was about to tell him to stop acting so stupid and naïve, but then he remembered that this man had suffered a total memory loss. "I'll tell you next time. It's dinner time now, let's go to eat, shall we?"

"Ve! _Sì!_" Feliciano exclaimed, skipping after Arthur through the stone passages. The mere thought of eating made him happy, for whatever reason. He was craving for some particular food, but he couldn't remember anymore what it was…

* * *

**Feliciano forgot pasta. FELICIANO FORGOT PASTA. brace yourselves, the end of the world is near.**

**please review! i love reviews! they help me carry on this story! :3**

**_per favore! : _**_(italian) please_

**_Sissignore! :_** _(italian) yessir!_

**_Oh, grazie al cielo! :_**_ (italian) thank heavens!_

**_Perchè? : _**_(italian) why?_


	6. Cooking time!

**i am so surprised i am posting new chapters almost everyday. MEIN GOTT!**

**this chapter was really fun to write :) it gives a homey feeling, i dunno...**

**anyway!**

**ENJOY**

* * *

They went into the supposed 'dining cave' (room wasn't an appropriate word to describe it!) and neared the two blondes who were standing by a stone fire place(which was near something similar to an oven) that looked like it was carved in the wall.

"DRIVE AWAY THE HEATHEN FROM THE KITCHEEEEN!" screamed Mathias popping out from nowhere, giving Feliciano a jump scare.

"What the bloody hell, you git! I was just going to sit over there, sheesh." Said Arthur gesturing to the recycled chairs and sofas they used to sit on. Five of them (and one pillow, Feliciano noticed, for some reason) were arranged so that they would be around a low wooden table. The Englishman was used to the Dane's behaviour when he stepped near the cooking fire or oven.

"Oh. Yeah. Right. You just go…and sit, there. _Hej_, Feli! Did you pass?" he said, hugging Feliciano's shoulders with one arm.

"Pass what?" The Italian asked.

"Yes, he passed, you wanker." Said a voice coming from a sofa.

"Hell yeah!" Mathias cheered. "You passed Arthur's medical check! You are not a Nightmare or a RED! If you had been one, we would have had to throw you out. Now we can officially state it: Welcome to the Rock family!"

"Oh, so it was about _that_!" Feliciano smiled. "_Grazie!_"

"Guys! Guys! Feliciano passed!" Mathias said, dragging the Italian with him to the blondes standing near the oven. Berwald and Tino.

"Oh, wonderful! I'm so happy for you, Feliciano!" Tino clapped his hands together with a wide smile. Berwald nodded, "Hm. W'lcome"

"So, how's the cooking going?" Mathias then asked.

Tino shrugged, suddenly not so happy anymore, gesturing to the stone fire place, where a black cauldron was cooking something. "We are doing what we can, but vegetable soup will still be vegetable soup… I'm sorry, I can't make anything fancier right now to celebrate your welcome, Feliciano."

Feliciano shook his head. "Don't worry! Thank you anyways!" he chirped.

"Mathias, I don't like it when you have that thoughtful look on your face." Tino suddenly said.

Indeed, as Feliciano turned, he saw Mathias staring at him rubbing his chin with one hand. Then it looked like a light bulb had appeared over his head, and he snapped his fingers. "Tino, I got it!" he said with a smug look upon his face.

Tino sighed. "What is it?"

"Dude! The guy is totally Italian! I remembered just now where I had heard that accent before!" Mathias said.

"So?" Berwald asked.

Mathias send them a 'don't you guys actually get it? It's so _obvious_' look. "Duh, guys. _Italian_ equals _wonderful cook_." He said, gesturing with both hands to Feliciano.

"W-what? Me, Italian?" Feliciano pointed at himself.  
"_Ja_, you. Did you hit a wall with your head or something? You definitely are Italian"

"B-but…I'm not even sure I can cook…!" Said Italian mumbled, shuffling his feet.

Mathias gave him an incredulous look. "What do you mean, you're not sure?"

"I-I…I lost my memory…I can't remember anything before this afternoon…" Feliciano said, now looking at his feet.

"Oh, that's it? Okey dokey, Feli! So you just really _did _hit a wall. Don't worry, Italians are innate in cooking! Just try!" Mathias said, shoving him near the fire place.

"Wh-what! Oh, ok… I'll try the best I can!" said Feliciano, smiling again. _They don't care if I have lost my memory!_ He thought, happy.

Tino shoved some little glass jars on the table near the fire place. "These are the spices we could retrieve from the city. It's not much, I know, but it's all we have."

Feliciano inspected them one by one, reading the etiquettes and looking at the contents. Something clicked in him, he recognised all the names, and even remembered how they smelled like. He actually _knew _how to do this.

"What is in the soup?" he asked, lifting the lid covering the cauldron and peeking in.

"Pretty much the only things we can grow in here. Carrots, spinach, onions, potatoes and some mushrooms." Tino answered.

Feliciano thought a little. He then opened each jar and sniffed the smells of them. Oregano, basil, parsley, thyme, sagebrush and then salt, pepper and dried chilli pepper. He could do pretty much what the hell he wanted with that soup.

He picked up some basil with his fingers. The fine dried powder sent a powerful smell to his nostrils. It was familiar, in some way. It reminded him of…someone? He looked at the powder in the palm of his hand. Yes. It was definitely reminding him of somebody. But he couldn't remember clearly who. _Maybe if I smell the other spices…?_ He thought. He swiftly put the aroma in the soup, and then went to open another jar. He was totally concentrated on his work now.

"You see? He'll manage to make a five star meal for us in no time!" Mathias said, triumphant.

Feliciano went up and down many times, from the cauldron to the jars, and then again from the jars to the cauldron. He sniffed all the spices before throwing them in the bubbling soup, but no other spice gave him that feeling of familiarity that the basil gave.

He thought hard, and worked hard, trying to perfect the soup. After a few tries, he asked if he could get some more onions.

"S're." Berwald said, walking away and returning soon with two small brown onions.

Mathias, Berwald and Tino felt like they were watching a TV show about cooking. The only difference was that Feliciano didn't talk, completely absorbed in his task, and that they could _smell_ how the soup got better and better.

After some other minutes, Feliciano tasted the soup, clicked his tongue disappointedly and threw some more pepper in it. "_Fatto! La cena è servita._"

"Say again?" Mathias said.

Feliciano smiled, proud of his work. "Done. Dinner is served!"

"Sweet! DINNER, EVERYBODY!" the Dane shouted so that everyone in the Rock could hear it, adding sound effect by banging the side of the cauldron with the metal spoon.

Tino filled seven bowls with the soup and set them on the low table in the centre of the cave. Berwald popped out of nowhere, dragging a seventh sofa for Feliciano to add to the circle.

Kiku and Ludwig came out from one of the many corridors that lead to the cave and joined them.

"What is this powerful smell?" asked the Japanese as he sat down on his knees on the pillow (so _that_ was the reason one was lying there…).

"It's Italian veggie soup!" Mathias cheered, handling him a bowl.

"Italian…?" Ludwig asked, raising one eyebrow while he was sitting on his chair.

"Kyllä, Feliciano cooked for us!" Tino smiled happily, giving him a bowl.

"And, so you know," said Arthur taking one bowl, "Feliciano passed the medical check. He's one of us now."

"Congratulations, Feliciano-kun!" Kiku said, smiling and bowing his head a little.

"_Grazie!_" the Italian chirped, sitting on the now his sofa.

Ludwig said nothing.

"Well then…_bon appétit_, everyone!" Mathias said, earning a glare from Arthur as he hated French.

Almost all together they tasted the soup. And it was freaking _delicious_. Everyone had something to say immediately.

Mathias. "Oh my god, Feliciano, this is fucking delicious!"

Tino. "Oh my! Did you really transform the dull soup _I_ made into _this_?"

Berwald. "Hn. V'ry good, _ja_."

Arthur. "Yes, I agree this _is _much better than the soup Tino made."

Kiku. "How outstanding! So many flavours in one soup! Feliciano, you are…terrific!"

Ludwig. "_Ja_, he is a good cook."

Feliciano was literally _beaming_ with joy. He was so happy he had made everyone else happy! He _could_ do this. And he _was_ actually good at it!

"Thank you! _Grazie davvero_!"

"Hey Feli, no need to start crying now, dude. It's a wonderful soup, awesome job!"

"I think it's the onions…" Feliciano sniffed, rubbing his eyes. All (except Ludwig) started to laugh, cheerful.

* * *

**aaaw, look at them, aren't they sweet? :3 **

**BUT! feliciano forgot to put pasta in the soup. dangit, feli! that would have made the soup ****_perfect_****.**

**_Fatto! La cena è servita : _**_(italian) done! dinner is served_

_**Kyllä : **(finnish) yes_

**_Grazie davvero! : _**_(italian) thank you so much!_


	7. You sure it's asthma?

**so here is the next chapter! gee, i promised i would update every friday, so far i've updated 3 times after last friday (and today it's tuesday...!)!**

**im so friggin' happy you like this fanfic, it gives me an extra boost to write MOAR :P**

**anyway, we left after our favourite italian made a heavenly soup...**

**ENJOY**

* * *

The days passed quickly and soon became weeks. Feliciano learnt to cook better everyday, and since he had such a good start… let's just say that everyone was looking out for dinner every evening. The small Italian slept with a mattress in a room-cave all for himself, which was a luxury, at the Rock. But even after some days and besides the fact he didn't even remember sleeping in any other bed, he somehow didn't feel comfortable sleeping in there, _alone_. He had these strange dreams where nothing else happened besides him falling. And falling. And _falling_. Again and again.

But save the nightmares (without capital n!) he was having a great time at his new home and family.

He soon discovered every member of the Rock family was from a different nation. When Feliciano asked why, this is how Kiku answered: "This Disaster caused many people to die, so the survivors fled to non-infected places. Soon one small city or village would be filled with many people from all across the world. And then…it's survival of the fittest. And that is why here you are, an Italian, living with a German, a Japanese, a Brit, a Dane, a Fin and a Swede."

"It almost sounds like the beginning of a joke!" laughed Feliciano. He wondered how he even knew that. _He_ surely didn't remember any jokes. Or maybe…something in his mind whispered: _A German and Japanese and an Italian walk into a restaurant…_ But he didn't remember how it ended. But he made a promise to himself he would, mostly because he thought it would be fun, having him, Ludwig and Kiku in one joke!

Kiku had smiled at that, because he had thought so too.

Once a week a couple (Ludwig and Kiku, Berwald and Mathias) would go out and try and fetch something to eat. It was a very difficult task: you had to turn every rock and boulder of the city to find something (because most probably some store or house or apartment would be hidden beneath it), and most of the times the food you found was spoiled. And then one of the couple had to stand guard against the day Nightmares. Tino explained to him that the Nightmares preferred to roam around during the night: the sun didn't hurt them or scorch them, but they still preferred not walking around during the day. But there were exceptions. There were those who woke up earlier, before the sun got down, and those who were completely unimpressed by the sun, or chose to ignore it. So, someone had to stand on guard while the other was searching through the debris of the city.

They had lived almost thirteen months there, Tino told him, exactly after the last of the Sentient Nightmares' attack. They had explored almost all of the city, and they knew there wasn't much left to find.

"The discovery Kiku made with the weapons was impressive. We didn't expect that at all. But still, weapons don't spoil, medicine and food _do_. It's become kind of difficult to find something to eat lately…Arthur was wise about it, and forced us to make something like a field here, about a year ago. There is one cave that has a hole in the ceiling big enough for some sun to come in, and that little patch of sunlight is made even bigger with a combination of mirrors Berwald hung by the edge of the hole!" Tino explained.

Feliciano smiled as he remembered said cave: he had come across it one day. The spectacle of mirrors was wonderful.

During the long evenings they would play cards. Arthur knew an awful lot of games, and Feliciano was a quick learner. He quickly found out how to play as a real pro in almost all games and the company discovered soon at their expense he had actually learned cheating(in a good way, just to make pranks or to cause confusion in the whole game)! It was all real fun.

Kiku and Arthur took time for him to teach him about Nightmares. They may have looked all the same, but there actually _were _extraordinary differences between the species.

"For instance, Feliciano." Began Arthur one day, showing him a note-book with pictures and drawings of Nightmares. "This, is a typical newbie Nightmare." He pointed one picture. The thing looked very much like the Nightmare that had chased Feliciano on his first day. An insect-like shape, big jaws, black armoured body. Big eyes, and many gaping glowing weak spots dotted its body.  
"_Ehi, è come quello che mi ha inseguito quando mi ero appena svegliato!_" exclaimed the Italian.

Kiku and Arthur thought they misheard for a moment, but then shook their heads, realizing he had talked in Italian.

"Well, never mind." Arthur concentrated again. "Anyway, this Nightmare is what we call a 'newbie'. It has just recently corrupted, or has had a very pacific and calm life. You recognize them for the many and obvious green weak spots they have on their body. That black armour is harder than steel, so the only way to eliminate a Nightmare is to shoot right at the green spots, including the eyes."

"Green spots, eyes, harder than steel. Got it!" repeated Feliciano almost like he was taking notes.

"_Hai_. And…I thought a lot about it, and I think you could use some training, Feliciano-kun. We _all_ have to be able to defend ourselves." Said Kiku, nodding gravely.

"Eeeeh? But I don't want to fight!" the Italian whined. He pointed at Arthur(who hushed something like 'It's rude to point at people!'), "Arthur doesn't have to get out! Why can't I just stay here? I can just cook all day and play cards!"

Kiku shook his head. "Arthur-san knows how to defend himself. Am I wrong, Arthur-san?"

As on cue, Arthur pulled out a dagger out of nowhere, made it flick around a bit and then made it disappear again.

"Whoaaaaaaaaa! Do it again! Do it again!" Feliciano clapped his hands like a child.

"Feliciano-kun, you're missing the point. You have to learn to wield a weapon. We each specialised in one close range weapon and we can all use guns. I think…it's better for you to start with guns." The last part he murmured to himself.

Feliciano brightened up, totally ignoring the first and the last part of the sentence. "You all can use weapons? _Che figata!_ Do you use one of those Japanese swords?"

Kiku sighed. It was better just to answer. "_Hai_, I am expert in using the ways of the katana."

Feliciano looked at him in awe. "Wooow…and the others?!"

Arthur answered. "Berwald uses a big two handed sword. Mathias an axe, Ludwig a hammer. Tino uses a spear, while I use the dagger you saw."

More awe-like stares from the small Italian.

"Let us continue with our lesson, shall we?" offered the Englishman.

"_Sì, d'accordo!_"

Arthur coughed. "Well, yes. Alright, so these are all newbies." He pointed at the pictures. "However, after having eaten enough, or after having fought a lot, Nightmares have the nasty habit of…_evolving_." He flipped the page over and pointed to a new picture.

The Nightmare in it was slightly more frightening. It was still clad in pitch-black armour, but its weak spots were of another colour, and less open. As if the gaping weak spots had thought 'Hey, why don't we close up a little, so it's less easier to kill us?' and then 'Yeah, why the hell not?'. The Nightmare's eyes had too become less big and open, less insect-like. As Feliciano flipped through the pages of the book, the weak spots became less and less, and the Nightmares changed in form. Some got smaller, more human-like. Well, sort of. They walked on two legs, but still were black as night and had two or three sets of arms or paws. "Those," Kiku said, "were humans once. These, on the other hand…" he pointed at the Nightmares who actually grew in size, and changed shape into something that looked like a hybrid between a normal animal and a black insect, with wings or with enormous tails and claws. "…were animals. Both species are very dangerous. Animal Nightmares are more destructive, but Human Nightmares develop some kind intelligence."

"Like…the Satiated Nightmares?" asked Feliciano, unsure.

Arthur answered, correcting him. "No, not like the _Sentient _Nightmares. The Sentient actually remember how to speak, act and think as a humans. But those have not been sighted in 13 months now. These things…just look a bit human and act smarter, but they do not develop actual thoughts, except 'Hey, there I see my lunch walking on two legs!'"

"Scary…" whispered Feliciano, looking at the drawings. The Italian had noticed that when he flipped pages over, the pictures became less and less, and that they became mostly drawings. Mostly, the Italianassumed, because taking a picture would have attracted their attention…

He came to the end of the book, and noticed some more drawings, but Arthur snatched the book from his hands and quickly closed it before he could _actually_ see them. "Hey, Arthur, that's mean!" Feli whined.

"This…I will tell you about these last pages one other time." He quickly excused himself, holding the book behind his back. He _was _a gentleman after all, wasn't he?

Feliciano pouted. "Is that…about the REDs? Why are you all acting so mysteriously about it?"

Kiku nodded gravely, his expression unreadable. "It…it is a touchy subject, Feliciano-kun, for some of us. Please do not insist on wanting to know. We will tell you, one day."

Feliciano looked down at his hands, which he started fiddling with. "Oh. Okay."

Silence fell in the dining-cave. Heavy and uncomfortable, unlike the sofa Feliciano was sitting on.

Arthur thankfully broke the silence.

"Hey Feliciano, you haven't visited me yet today. I need to check you, remember?"

The Italian's head snapped up. "Oh, yes! I remember. _Andiamo, allora!_" he jumped to his feet and skipped ahead him to the medical room.

"You need to…check him, Arthur-san?" asked the Japanese, puzzled.

Arthur waved a hand absent-mindedly. "Yes, he has some strange form of asthma I need to check everyday."

Kiku didn't seem to believe him. Then Arthur remembered. _Bloody hell, I forgot he could immediately hear when someone is lying…!_

He was readying some other excuse, making sure he didn't have to look him in the eyes, but the Japanese interrupted him just when he was beginning to speak.

"You surely must have a reason for not telling me, Arthur-san, and I will not inform the others about this. I trust your judgement the… _asthma_ doesn't get worse and doesn't endanger anyone here." The voice veiled a small threat. Arthur understood him. They were _all_ on edge when it concerned their safety. Sure, Feliciano was a friend, and a wonderful cook and admirable card player…but if it turned out bad for him…

The Brit nodded curtly and swiftly left the dining-cave.

The Japanese sighed and got to his feet from his kneeling position. "I really hope everything turns out alright for you, Feliciano-kun…" he muttered, sincere. He then left, heading for the cave with the hanging mirrors.

* * *

**SO MUCH TENSION! sheesh, why is everyone so mysterious about the REDs?**

**oh yeah, I'M the reason**

**kesesesese...**

**anyway! until next chapter! and remember that i love reviews!**

_**Ehi, è come quello che mi ha inseguito quando mi ero appena svegliato! : ** (italian) Hey, it's just like the one that chased me right after I had woken up!_

_**Che figata! : **(italian) how awesome/cool!_

_**Sì, d'accordo! : **(italian) Yes, alright!_

_**Andiamo, allora! :** (italian) Let's go then!_


	8. Humming

**gee, i'm writing this stuff when i should be studying.**

**i guess i just really like this story! Christ on a bicycle, this is one hell of a long chapter, compared to the previous ones!**

**here it is then,**

**ENJOY**

* * *

Arthur bandaged his hand again, muttering some gibberish words. He truly didn't understand what was wrong with the Italian's hand. It had stayed the same all two weeks, while the wound on the head had healed.

"I still don't get it, Feliciano."

The Italian moved his eyes to meet the Englishman's green ones. "Hm? What, Arthur?"

"I don't get what's wrong with your hand. I've read every book and manual I have about Nightmares (which aren't that much, but still)…and REDs too. But there is no symptom like this! I wish I could be more helpful." Said Arthur, passing a hand through his messy blond hair.

Feliciano smiled. "Ve! Don't worry, Arthur! It doesn't hurt, so it's fine for me!

"Still. I need to find out _what _the bloody hell it is. And I sure will!"

Feliciano shrugged his shoulders. "Can I go now?"

"Yes, of course."

The Italian was already almost out of the medical room when he noticed Arthur wasn't following. "Aren't you coming?"

The Brit shook his head, sitting by a table in the back. "No, Feliciano. I'll stay here and do some…research. Please, could you make sure the curtain is closed well? Thank you."

Feliciano did as he was told, and then went for a stroll.

It was almost midday, so the sunlight was falling into the caves who had the tiniest hole in it. Observing the light patches on the stone floor, he decided to go to the cave with the hanging mirrors. It was like a garden in their home. There the vegetables they ate were grown, and there was always fresh air.

When he got there, he noticed Kiku reading a book in a corner, Berwald and Ludwig digging and turning over some ground in the field, working in silence. Some days earlier Mathias had told him they had had many difficulties in trying to grow something. For instance, the light. That was solved first with the finding of the cave with a hole and then by hanging mirrors. Then, the ground. Because of the fact that in a mountain's caves the floor is only rock and sand, they had to break the stony floor with pickaxes and then transfer soil and ground from somewhere else. "I have never been so tired as in those days in all my life!" he had said, laughing.

Feliciano smiled. Maybe he could help!

He approached the two working blonds, walking across the ploughed field. "_Ehi, ciao!_ Can I help?"

Both men stopped working, glancing up at him. Berwald stood up straightening his back and thus towering over the Italian. Ludwig looked down at the ground again and resumed working.

"_Hallå_, F'liciano. _Ja_, yoo c'n help, 'f yoo want too. W' need s'me wat'ring 'n th't c'rner ov'r th're." The tall Swede replied, pointing at a corner of the field on his left.

"_Sissignore!_" chirped the Italian, saluting like a soldier but with his wrong hand.

Berwald nodded, the corners of his mouth twitching (which meant he was smiling) and grasping his shovel again with both hands. "Take th't w'tering can ov'r th're, then."

"Sure! Veee…" Feliciano singed while he walked dancing to an old watering can that leaned against the wall of the cave. He picked it up and began walking to the neighbouring cave, the one that had a stream of water. It wasn't as well-lit as the other caves, this one was a bit dark. But there was a small stream, about ten centimetres deep and of a meter of width.

It was mostly because of that stream that the gang decided to settle in the Rock. They had a constant supply of water, and the stream made a convenient turn behind a rock, where people could pee and poo, too.

Feliciano walked up the stream a little and filled the can, whistling a song he didn't remember the words of. He then walked back, and watered the sprouting plants, humming the tune still. The water finished disappointedly quickly, so he walked back. He did this several times, until the corner Berwald pointed was all done.

"Done!" he said triumphantly, putting the can down and saluting again, and again with the wrong hand. Berwald looked up, sweat dripping from his brow and his glasses threatening to fall from his nose. "Hn. _Bra_. N'w do th't c'rner, _okej_?" Berwald pointed another corner.

"Vee?! Oh, okay!" The Italian was a bit surprised his job wasn't finished. But then again, he wanted to help, so he went to the stream cave again.

Humming the tune while the can was filling, he finally remembered some words. "_…_Hm-hm-hm_…Oh bella ciao…_hm-hm-hm-hm_…_" it was a rhythmic and repetitive song. If he only remembered the words!

He went back and forth from the mirror cave to the stream one. He wasn't surprised when Berwald told him he had to water the space between the two corners, now.

Again, filling can, humming, watering earth, humming, filling can…  
He actually began to remember some words of the song. But only one of the many refrains.

"_Una mattina, mi son svegliato…_

_Oh bella ciao! Bella ciao! Bella ciao, ciao ciao!_

_Una mattina, mi son svegliato,_

_e ho trovato l'invasor._"

He smiled, satisfied. He had actually remembered something!

He continued singing it, even if in a low tone when he was walking in the mirrors cave. The two blonds were working in almost absolute silence, he didn't want to shatter it so drastically.

Feliciano spent the afternoon watering the earth, humming and singing all the time.

He then made a clumsy mistake. While on the way of one of his last trip, his foot got stuck behind a small rock and he tripped. "Veee! _Ahi!_" he lost grip of the watering can, which got thrown in the air, and smacked almost face-first on the floor. When he looked up, he saw something both funny and terrifying. Ludwig, not so distant from the place he fell, was soaking wet, with the watering can on his head. That was the funny part, also because of the wide-eyed look on his face. His usually slicked-back hair was now a mess, and blond bangs were glued on his forehead, and he was literally dripping. But then his face became all red, and a furious glare replaced the stupefied look.

"Vhy you little…!" the German snarled, enraged, letting go of his shovel.

He pulled the Italian on his feet brusquely by his t-shirt's collar, and Feliciano whimpered, cowering in fear. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Forgive me! And please don't kill me! I'll do anything you want just please don't kill me!" Feliciano started pleading.

Ludwig growled and released him, grumbling some German insults.

"Hey, what happened? Hey Ludd, what happened to your hair? Did it finally start a revolution against all that gel you use? Bwahaha!" Mathias had walked in by pure chance, and earned a deathly glare from the soaked blond.

"This idiot threw the watering can at my head." Ludwig snarled at the Dane, visibly aggressive.

Mathias put his hands up in defence. "Dude, it's just some water, chill out. You needed a shower anyway."

"I'm really sorry, Ludwig!" Feliciano squeaked when the German turned around to glare at him.

"You. _You…_ You're acting as if it all was a joke! Mathias was the only clown here, and he was serious enough to understand when to quit joking. But you treat this situation so frivolously! We're _hiding_, _verdammnt_! We are trying to survive a world-wide apocalypse and you just skip around these caves singing and whistling like it is a lovely Sunday afternoon. Well, let me tell you something. _It is not_, understand? And let it be clear! To all of you! Because you all seem to have forgotten about it!" he started in a low voice, looking the cowering Italian straight in the eyes, but ended bellowing it to everyone that was in the cave.

Kiku didn't react, maintaining his poker face. Berwald neared Feliciano, ready to prevent any action against the Italian, as did Mathias.

"_Hej_, st'p it." Said the tall Swede.

"Yes, Ludd. Look, you're scaring the hell out of the little guy!" Mathias pointed at the Italian, who was trembling.

Ludwig was astonished. "You're…all defending him. Why? Can you even _trust_ him?"

Mathias stepped forward, for once with a serious look on his face. "Listen, Ludwig. If Feliciano wanted to kill us he could have done it more than a dozen times already. He cooks every evening for us, and judging by the skills he has, he could have poisoned us by putting too much chilli pepper in the plates. But he didn't, and I don't think he will. Does he really look like a killer to you? Dang it, of course I trust him!"

Ludwig's face contorted in a snarl. Then he shook his head, walking away without saying another word.

Kiku suddenly appeared besides the trembling Italian. "Are you okay, Feliciano-kun?"

"Kikuuuuu! I was so scared!" the Italian started crying, throwing his arms around the Japanese. Kiku had gotten used to it by now, but only from the Italian. When Mathias had tried it, he had burst into a full stream of Japanese insults and curses, shaking him off.

"Hey, big guy," Mathias said mockingly to Feliciano, who looked up at him with teary brown eyes, "don't worry about him. He has always had a stick up his ass."

Berwald smacked the back of the head of the Dane, who replied with an "Ow!"

"He j'st needs t' get us'd to ya." Said the Swede.

Feliciano sniffed. "Thank you all, guys..." but he still felt bad for Ludwig.

_…later, that evening…_

"Goodn'ght ev'ryone."

"_Oyasumi nasai_, _minna._"

"Feliciano, you need to stop cheating." Arthur said.

"Ve, but it's fun! Goodnight, Arthur!"

"Yeah, you tell him, Feli!" Mathias chimed in.

"Shut it, Mathias!"

"Pssht! Goodnight, Artie!"

"_My name is not Artie, you wanker! I hope you have nightmares while you sleep!_"

"Tino, what does 'wanker' mean?" Feliciano asked innocently.

"Eeeh, I'll tell you another time, okay? _Hyvää yötä_!"

"_Buonanotte!_"

They all went to bed, and Feliciano wondered where Ludwig had stayed all day. He didn't show up at dinner…

The Italian sighed when he sat down on his mattress. He hoped he hadn't angered the man that much…he didn't want to make anyone angry! He wanted everyone to get along!

He laid himself down and began muttering the song he had remembered a little that afternoon. It was too rhythmic, so he changed the tune a little so it sounded a bit like a lullaby.

"_Oh bella ciao…bella ciao…bella ciao…ciao…ciao…_"

He fell fast asleep like that.

Suddenly he jerked up. He had had that nightmare again, the one in which he only fell. He panted, and wiped his forehead from the sweat.

He winced.

Wait.

What? He felt something strange when he did that.

He wasn't really that awake, so he stupidly did it again. And he winced, again. His hand hurt, no, throbbed like it had swollen up under the bandages. He now surely was wide awake.

Feliciano was afraid. _What if it _is_ a Nightmare infection symptom? Would they throw me out?_

He didn't feel really good, either. It was as if something was stirring his guts. _What's going on? I…I…I need some fresh air._

He walked out of his room and into the other caves, and plodded to the mirror cave. When he got there, he still needed more air. It wasn't enough.

_Guess I have to get out, then._

He walked to the garage-cave where their jeep was parked. He plodded out of the long and contorted cave until he finally felt some breeze on his face. And then he was out.

The moon shone in the night sky, and the stars twinkled far away. The desert around the Rock was far below him, and had a blue hue. The breeze and fresh air made him feel slightly better, but something still didn't _feel_ right. He felt _tense_ and nervous.

He looked around for a place to sit and relax himself a little, when he saw, some meters below him, a familiar blond head.

Ludwig was sitting on a rock, resting his chin on a hand. He looked tired. Feliciano then saw something that made the hairs on his neck stand up.

A Nightmare, aiming Ludwig and ready to strike, on a higher rock.

Feliciano started running. "WATCH OUT!"

* * *

**CLIFFHANGERRR!**

**i am really cruel, i know. sorry! but as promised, i will upload friday evening (ergo, tomorrow :) )**

**the song Feliciano is humming/singing/whistling is a popular italian song, sung during and after WWII to symblize the 'resistenza'**

**you can hear it on youtube if you want to : **

**/watch?v=Kyj2N4uYOk0**

**/watch?v=4CI3lhyNKfo**

**then here are the translations!**

**_Hallå : _**_(swedish) hello_

**_Sissignore! : _**_(italian) Yessir!_

**_Bra : _**_(swedish) good_

**_Una mattina, mi son svegliato… : _**_(italian) One morning, I woke up._

**_Oh bella ciao! Bella ciao! Bella ciao, ciao ciao! : _**_(italian) Oh beauty bye! beauty bye! beauty bye, bye, bye!_

**_e ho trovato l'invasor. : _**_(italian) and I found the invader._

**_verdammnt! : _**_(german) damn it!_

**_Oyasumi nasai_****, ****_minna : _**_(japanese) goodnight, everyone_

_**Hyvää yötä! : **(finnish) goodnight!_

_**Buonanotte! : **(italian) goodnight!_


	9. Not an enemy

**Just as promised, here is the new chapter! **

**it is pretty long, so enjoy!**

**I won't be able to upload anything this weekend, but by next friday i definitely will!**

**anyway**

**ENJOY**

* * *

Feliciano was damn good in running. And luckily so, because when he shoved Ludwig away by bumping directly on him, the Nightmare jumped and landed on the exact same spot the German was sitting on just seconds earlier.

The two rolled on the rocky floor a bit before coming to a halt.

"_Sheiße!_" Ludwig swore, letting some German accent slip into his English. "Vhat ze hell…" he then noticed Feliciano lying not so far away. "You?! Vhat ze _hell_ do you think you're doing?!"

The Nightmare roared in frustration when it saw it hadn't hit anything. It looked around frantically and soon found them again.

Ludwig only then noticed the monster. "Oh, _Gott…_" _I don't have my hammer with me! How am I supposed to defend myself?!_ Thought the German, getting on his feet fast and looking around for anything, anything that could be used as a weapon. There were just rocks. "_Sheiße!_" he cussed again.

He then noticed Feliciano, trembling, but with a considerable-sized rock in his hands. He was looking at the Nightmare, shivering.

He decided that a rock would be better than nothing.

Feliciano was observing the Nightmare, that was calmly preparing his next jump and attack. It looked hideous. Even the moonlight didn't make it more beautiful (or in this case, less fearsome), like it did with the desert. Instead, it added a more frightening shimmer to the black armoured body, and enhanced every detail. From its disgusting insect-like jaws dripped some drool, its weak spots glowing as did green eyes, menacingly. The monster snarled, readying itself to jump, its horrible paws shifting in position.

The Italian shuddered. He still had that uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach, and he was pretty much _terrified_ of the monster. He had picked up a big rock with one hand, ready to defend himself. He turned it around in his hands as he remembered the words Arthur had said some days earlier. _Green spots, including the eyes_.

Feliciano closed his eyes. He didn't want to fight. He didn't like it. But…! He had to! Or else he…no, they _both_ would die!

He opened his eyes again when the Nightmare roared and finally jumped, going straight for him. Feliciano ran sideways, and when the monster landed shaking the rocks on which he walked, he noticed a weak spot near him, on the creature's flank. He threw his stone at it. "Yaaah!"

It missed. It bounced on the Nightmare's armoured flank, at least one meter on the left.

"_Oh, porca miseria…_" whispered the Italian, frozen as the Nightmare looked at him. He was pissed. Not only the tiny human had alerted his dinner, but it tried to fight back too?

Speaking of his dinner…

The 'dinner' hit the other flank with another stone. The Nightmare screeched as it scrambled backwards, one deformed paw covering the bleeding wound.

"Don't forget about me, _Alptraum!_" Ludwig shouted, throwing the green-covered stone in the air a little, before letting it fall in his hand again.

The German then hurled the stone, aiming for the eyes. The Nightmare avoided it by moving to the left, near Feliciano.

Said Italian trembled, but was determined to help Luwdig. He tried to throw another stone, but missed the green spot he was aiming for. Instead, got between the large paws of the monster.

He didn't give up. Even if he didn't hit the creature, he could be useful as distraction. He continued tossing stones, as did Ludwig, even if the latter's attacks had definitely more effect. The Nightmare screeched and leapt here and there, trying to tackle one of them, but they were always or lucky or fast enough to avoid it.

The Nightmare soon was leaving a trail on the rocks of green glowing blood that oozed from the wounds Ludwig had caused. And it was very, very, _very_ pissed off. It had underestimated his 'dinner', and now it was paying the consequences.

It roared and tackled Ludwig, finally hitting a target.

"Gah!"

"Ludwig!"

The Nightmare pinned the blond down with his enormous weight, and a terribly sharp set of jaws was snapping centimetres from Ludwig's face. The German panted heavily, trying to keep the monster from eating his face.

_What do I do? What do I do?! _The Italian panicked.

And he did the stupidest thing, but it was the only he could think of, at the moment.

He jumped on the Nightmare's legs and climbed up its black body. The monster tried to shake him off, but Feliciano clung at it for dear life. The Italian climbed as fast as he could and soon he was on the creature's back. One weak spot was glowing right in front of him, on the back of the Nightmare's head, but Feliciano hadn't thought of taking a rock to bash it in. He heard Ludwig yelling under him, the thing's jaws were probably just moments from the German's face.

So Feliciano did the only thing he could think of, again. He smashed the green gaping spot with his right hand. As soon as he bashed the thing in, he felt his hand burn, as if he had sunk it in acid. He screamed, and at the same time the Nightmare screeched, rearing up. Feliciano saw Ludwig rolling away and getting on his feet as fast as he could.

That did it. The thing staggered a little, almost tripping in his own hideous legs, and then toppled on one side. And Feliciano's hand was still stuck into the creature's back of the neck. He fell with the Nightmare, and hit the ground as hard. He didn't scream anymore, but his hand was still burning. The green liquid oozing from the wound trickled down his wrist and arm, before finally dripping on the ground.

He just laid there, not moving. He was exhausted. His hand was burning like hell. He didn't feel like…_moving_. Not even to remove his hand from the place it was stuck in. He followed one single drop of green liquid travel down his arm until it reached his elbow. He then closed his eyes.

He probably was unconscious for some time, because the next time he opened his eyes he was lying on the mattress in his room.

Feliciano looked around, and saw Tino sitting, cross-legged, near him. "Oh, _kiitos jumala_, thank heavens! You're awake!" he quickly stood up and poked his head out of the room. "Everybody! He's awake!"

Soon his room was crowded with people. Mathias taking him in a bear-bone-crushing hug, Berwald letting out a sigh of relief, Tino smiling brightly, Kiku sitting near him. Arthur entered moments later. "Oh, what a relief, you're awake. We thought we lost you there, for a while." He smiled, sitting down near Kiku.

"How are you feeling?"

"Do you want to drink something?"

"I'll get some water!"

"Maybe he needs something to eat. Do we have anything left?"

"Sh't up, ev'ryone. Ah th'nk all he needs 's just s'me rest."

Everyone shut up almost instantly. "You're right Berwald. Sorry Feliciano, we were all just so worried!" Tino tried to explain.

Feliciano put on a weak smile. "_Sì, sono un po' stanco…_"

"Sorry, big guy, but we can't speak Italian." Mathias said, empathising his words by putting an index finger in his ear.

"Yes, I'm a bit tired…" Feliciano repeated.

The Fin clapped his hands. "You heard him. Everyone out!"

Arthur was leaving, when he felt something tugging at his sleeve. He looked back, surprised to see two amber-brown eyes looking at him with pleadingly. "Could you please stay a while, Arthur?"

Arthur's heart and gaze softened again. "Yes. Of course."

They both ignored the disappointed 'Why can he stay while I can't?!" coming from far away and from a known Dane.

Arthur sat down again, cross-legged, near the mattress. The Italian sat up a bit, straightening up.

"What do you want to talk about?" the Brit went straight to the point.

Feliciano shook his head. "I…I don't know. What happened?"

"Now, that's not fair, is it? This is what _you_ should be telling _me_."

The Italian glanced up at the ceiling above his head. "Well, I woke up with this really strange feeling…" he told all the story, without omitting anything. "…and then I just…blacked out? Ve…it was really strange."  
Arthur rubbed his chin with one hand. "Do you still have this uneasy feeling?"

"I don't…Ah, no! actually, not anymore." Feliciano smiled.

"What if you… 'felt' the Nightmare was nearby?" Arthur guessed, crossing his arms.

Feliciano tilted his head to one side. "Ve? I don't know… But I did really feel like I _needed _to get outside. And the feeling did stop when the Nightmare died, now that I think of it. Maybe you're right, Arthur! You're so smart!"

Arthur coughed. "Not really, Feliciano. Just a wild guess."

Feliciano suddenly remembered something, and panicked. "Where is Ludwig?!" _He didn't die, did he? I saw him!_

Arthur smiled, reassuring him. "Don't worry, he will come here to visit you. He said he just wanted to do it alone, without all the crowd. It was him who carried you all the way over here, you know?"

"Really?"  
"Yes. It is really strange that a Nightmare wanders so far off in the desert, out of the cities. But then again, it wasn't really smart going out of the caves, during the night, without any weapon. Ludwig was a sitting duck. Luckily, you came by. And I will take my leave then, now. Otherwise he won't come in here. I'll tell you about my theories about your hand tomorrow, alright?"

Feliciano examined his hand. The bandage had been changed, and it didn't hurt anymore. He felt he had been patched up on other places, too. He had a big squared plaster on his left cheek, and some others on his arms, to cover various bruises. Arthur probably arranged it all. "Thank you, Arthur." He said softly, as the Brit stood up.

"You're welcome. Goodnight, then."

"_Buonanotte..._"

Feliciano sat in his bed, waiting. And fidgeting with his hands. What would Ludwig say? Would he be angry at him again? Would he thank him? Would he be ice-cold and distant? He didn't know.

Then, after ten agonizing minutes, the curtain of his room was lifted, and a big blond entered. Feliciano looked up, trying to read his expression.

He didn't find anything in those ice blue eyes.

Ludwig's face was blank. He just stood there, not really entering the room. "You are awake."

The Italian tried to smile and to cheer up. "Yes. I see you survived! I thought for a moment that I had imagined you getting away from the thing…"

The German's glare softened a bit. He came one step closer. "You saved me." He made another slow step forward. The room was small, so with those two small steps he was already near the Italian's mattress. He looked unsure for a while, but then sat down.

Feliciano did not know what to expect. He thought to be better safe than sorry.

"Ve, sorry Ludwig, if I made you angry in any way! I know you wanted to be alone but I had this feeling and so I walked outside and then…!"

Ludwig silenced him by moving a hand.

"I am s…I truly…I wanted to…" Ludwig mumbled, unsure of what to say, and looking in another direction. He found the words at last. "I apologize. For how I treated you. I misjudged you, and looked at you as if you were an enemy. Tonight I had proof that I was wrong all along. And for that, I am truly sorry. F…forgive me."

Feliciano was baffled. He didn't really expect him to be _sorry_, of all things.

"Ve…it doesn't matter, Ludwig! Thank you. I'm happy that out of this horrible night something good happened." He flashed a big smile.

Ludwig looked at him, unsure of what to say next. "No, really, I am truly sorry. There is no excuse for what I did. For how I behaved. For how I treated you."

"Again, it doesn't matter! Arthur told me you have trouble trusting other people. So now that you do trust me, I am really happy!" Feliciano chirped, despite his tiredness.

"Arthur told you a lot of things, didn't he?" Ludwig raised an eyebrow.

"Yes! He knows a lot and is happy to teach me! I don't know many things of this world, because of my memory, so… But he still refuses to tell me some things." Feliciano pouted.

Ludwig raised an eyebrow, again. "Like what?"

Feliciano hesitated one moment. "…He doesn't tell me about the REDs… He says it is a touchy subject…" he felt like he had made a mistake, saying that to Ludwig, but the German actually _smiled_ a little. It was a bittersweet smile, but still a smile.

"Ah, _ja_. I understand. But, if you want to…" he paused. "I could tell you that story."

* * *

**oh,****_ what_**** will ludwig tell? C:**

**tell me your theories about the REDs by reviewing! i love reviews!**

**see you the next chapter!**

**_Sheiße! : _**_(german) shit!_

_**Gott... : **(german) God..._

_**Oh, porca miseria... : **(italian) oh, dang it..._

**_Alptraum! : _**_(german) Nightmare!_

**_kiitos Jumala : _**_(finnish) thank God_

**_Sì, sono un po' stanco… : _**_(italian) Yes, I'm a bit tired..._


	10. REDs

**ciao, everybody! hey, i updated sooner than i thought! **

**sorry for the cliffy of the last chapter, i promise i will stop doing that!  
HOLY FLYING PASTA this is a long chapter**

**i hope you ENJOY it ^^**

* * *

Ludwig stayed silent for some moments. He took a deep breath, and then he started talking, his eyes lost in the past.

"RED is a kind of infection, different from the Nightmare one. More specifically, the Sentient Nightmares infect _willing_ humans, so they become REDs."

Feliciano tilted his head to one side. He hadn't understood. "What?"

Ludwig sighed.

"Fourteen months ago, the Sentient Nightmares launched their last attack throughout the world's largest resisting cities. I just happened to be in one of them, with my brother…"

* * *

_…Fourteen months earlier…_

_"Hey West! Take a look at that shit!" the man shouted in his annoyingly loud voice._

_"Vhat is it, Gilbert?" Ludwig sighed._

_The white-haired man pointed out of their shattered window. A dark line was appearing at the horizon, and was coming nearer._

_Suddenly Ludwig became serious. "What do you think it is?"  
"If my awesome eyes aren't wrong, and they can't be because they're awesome, what I see right there is a whole shitload of Nightmares coming right here." The albino answered. His pet chick chirped, worried. Gilbert stroked the little bird's yellow head, whispering "Don't worry, Gilbird. Everything will be just fine."_

_"I don't think so. Gilbert, get your weapons and let's get out of here!" Ludwig pushed his brother away from the window._

_"Ack! _Ja, ja_, West. Chill out. They're still far away, and I don't think they're many. I said 'shitload' before just because I thought it was an awesome word." Gilbert tried to calm the blond down, grinning.  
"Heh, you might want to check again, _Bruder_." Ludwig grinned._

_When Gilbert glanced out of the window again, he saw the dark line had already come much closer. And he could see it was a whole _army _of Nightmares._

_"_Sheiße!_ West, let's get the hell out of here!"_

_Ludwig rolled his eyes and followed his brother out of the building. They ran through the streets, passing through the swarming and alarmed people. Some were armed, some were running screaming, others were trying to hide, and children holding their mother's hands were crying. _

_They both ran until the edge of the city opposite to the Nightmare's line of attack, that was protected by a very high and massive concrete wall with electrified barbwire. The walls were just high enough no Nightmare could jump over it. Nobody was in sight, and they found the heavy reinforced door that lead outside._

_"Quick, crack the code!" Gilbert exclaimed, re-adjusting his rifle on his shoulder._

_Ludwig stopped dead on his tracks. "You're kidding, right?"_

_"Hell no, I'm serious! We need to get out of here, West!" Gilbert got near the door and the computer panel, when they both heard a loud 'BOOONG' on the door. It echoed through the concrete streets._

_"Ludwig, that was your stomach, right? Tell me it was your stomach." The albino stood petrified, staring at the metal door. Almost as if he'd move, it would explode. _

_The blond was standing as still as Gilbert was, some meters behind the albino. "_Bruder_, get back here. They surrounded the whole city. We can't get out."_

_"No fucking way! That is so un-awesome." Gilbert tried to grin, but Ludwig saw he was scared. Gilbird was _terrified_, and kept shifting from the albino's right shoulder to the left one._

_"Gilbert, get back here_ now_." Ludwig demanded._

_Another 'BOOOONG' sounded from the door, stronger and louder. Now the heavy metal door had a dent. Gilbert did not need another proof to know it wasn't a good idea just to stand there, and ran like hell, back to the city._

_"Whooooaaaaaah! Run, West!"_

_Ludwig was already running. "We need to find a place where we can counterattack!"_

_The albino pointed at one of the buildings. "There is a good place! If we get high enough we could snipe those _arschlochs_!"_

_The blond nodded, for once his brother had a rationally good idea._

_They ran as if the devil were on their heels (and it could very well be) and in no time they were in one of the upper floors of the building._

_Gilbert shattered the windows of the abandoned flat with the butt of his rifle, and glanced outside._

_"_Mein Gott_, this is so un-awesome…" he said, breathless._

_Ludwig neared him, and had the same reaction. _

_The army of Nightmares had indeed surrounded the city. It kept moving, and looked like an enormous grotesque black ring around the city's walls. The electrified barbed wire was keeping them at bay at the moment, but he knew it wouldn't last long. The winged Nightmares were already flying over the city, assaulting the buildings and the people down in the streets._

_"Let's get 'em, West!" Gilbert exclaimed, pointing his rifle and taking aim of the monstrous flying creatures._

_They worked together like a perfectly oiled machine. Gilbert aimed right, and Ludwig left. They shot many of them down, hitting precisely their weak spots. They had to change floors every now and then so they wouldn't be detected by the things._

_After some time, they heard something big crumble. They both stopped shooting to look at each other. "That doesn't sound good." Ludwig said._

_"Nope. Look." Gilbert pointed at the city walls, and the blond swallowed. The Nightmares had destroyed the walls, and were now swarming inside._

_The albino swallowed. "It was nice knowing ya, West." _

_"Shut up. We're going to survive this!" Ludwig shouted determined._

_The continued shooting even if they knew the battle was already lost. The Nightmares were severely reduced in numbers by the crossfire (other people were shooting as well) but they just kept coming. The monsters started to attack the buildings, chipping off the concrete and bricks from the base. Soon entire flats were falling down crumbling, like colossal trees near a lumberjack mill. The only difference was the lack of 'Timbeeeer!' shouts, substituted with terrified screams of the people in the buildings or under the falling ones. Long plumes of smoke were beginning to block the view._

_"Hey, take a look at that guy down there! What is it?" Gilbert suddenly asked, in the middle of the mayhem._

_Ludwig looked down in the street below them, and saw something odd, through the smoke and dust._

_It was a Nightmare, he was pretty sure of that. The black armoured body was the trademark. But its form was…human. Not like the Nightmares that once _were_ humans. Those things still had one or two extra sets of arms or legs. This one had only four limbs, and looked pretty much like a human. It walked through the smoke, debris, screams and massacre as it were taking an afternoon stroll through the park. Hell, it even held its hands joined behind its back! The only thing missing the picture was the thing _whistling_._

_"I have no idea. But it doesn't look good."_

_"I think it's the big boss of it all! Look at how he's actually _chilling_ down there! Hachaa…paaaah!" Gilbert pointed his rifle at the thing. "I'm gonna take it _down_!"_

_Ludwig had a bad feeling about this. The thing didn't have any weak spots in sight. It felt very, very wrong. The thing was probably one of the most dangerous Nightmares out there. "No, don't…!"_

_Too late, the albino had already pulled the trigger. The bullet bounced right off its head, without the thing even flinching. It did, however, stop walking. It unfolded its hands behind its back and turned._

_"Uh-oh…" the albino looked down. The thing moved its head and looked up at them. Ludwig had the strangest feeling it was _smiling_._

_The blond reacted quickly. "Get down!" he shoved his brother away from the window, ducking._

_And just in time, too. Something shot through the window, and made a hole in the ceiling. And in the one above it. And in all the floors above them. The ceiling started cracking, chips of concrete and dust falling on their heads. _

_"Move, Gilbert!" Ludwig shouted, running for the stairs. The albino scrambled on his feet and hurried behind his brother before the whole building would crumble on their heads._

_They literally flew over the stairs, and were outside of the building just in time. It crumbled behind them, causing an earthquake and sending more smoke and dust in the air. _

_They panted, hands on their knees, trying to catch their breaths. When they did, they noticed something. _

_Silence. _

_Complete, utter, sudden silence. _

_And that was never a good sign._

When did the fight end? _Ludwig thought. Then he shivered. If there was only silence, then the Nightmares had probably won…_

_He couldn't see a thing through the smoky haze. He glanced over at his brother, and they both nodded. They had to run away, or they would be toasted_

_They hurried through the debris and crumbled buildings, and sometimes they would hear one, single, isolated gunshot. Then a scream of someone being snatched by a Nightmare. Someone was weeping, but it suddenly stopped with a Nightmare's horrible screech._

_They both shuddered whenever they saw mangled bodies of people crushed by the concrete, or half eaten corpses. The two of them finally saw something that resembled the city walls, and Gilbert grinned at him. Gilbird made a small 'tweet', still scared. And then it screeched, as it was suddenly hit. "GILBIRD!" the albino cried, frantically looking around. The small yellow feather ball had disappeared._

_Ludwig felt his guts stirring, remembering the human-looking Nightmare. _Oh, no… please no…!_ he thought, afraid._

_Gilbert felt it too. He suddenly saw something, and a strange expression appeared on his face. "I'm sorry,_ _West.". "What?" Ludwig asked, turning to look at him. The albino hit him on the head, hard, with the butt of his rifle. The blond fell to the ground, his consciousness slipping._

_"I gotta be awesome, now, for real." Were the words Ludwig heard before blacking out._

* * *

_He regained consciousness quickly, though. He sat up, but hit his head. "Ouch! _Sheiße_! What was that _arschloch _thinking?" he grumbled, rubbing his forehead. He was in some very small dark place, and he smelt the smoke. He hit the walls of his confinement with his fists, but only managed to hurt himself. There was a really small hole on his left, and he shifted a little so he could peek outside. He was still in the city. Was he buried under the debris?! Suddenly he heard someone talking. He couldn't make out what they were saying in the begin, but after he put his ear on the small hole he could hear better._

_"__**So…will you join me?**__"_

_Someone said something Ludwig couldn't catch. But the voice was familiar…_

_"__**I am pleased you made the right choice, human.**__" _

_Ludwig frowned, listening. The first voice was distorted. Almost Nightmare like…_

Verdammt! It's the thing Gilbert tried to shoot down! _Ludwig suddenly assumed. And the second voice was…his brother's._

_The blond suddenly heard some horrible snapping sounds, and something was that was being torn, ripped._

_Ludwig's heart sank. No, not his brother. Not him. Please, no. No. No. No. _Nein_. _NEIN_._

_"_NEIN!_" he screamed. "Gilbert! GILBERT!" _What have you done?!

_"GHIAAAAAAAAAA__**AAAAAAAAH!**__" the albino screamed, the end of the scream becoming distorted. _What is that thing _doing_ to him?! _"GILBEEERT!"_

_The screaming stopped. The sickening sounds stopped too. He heard panting. Ludwig was frozen, stricken by fear and anguish._

_"__**Stand up.**__"_

_Ludwig heard rubble shifting, and some clicking sounds. Like stone scraping on stone._

_"__**Good. Now, we can leave. How do you feel?**__"_

_Ludwig shuddered when he heard the voice of his brother. It was distorted like the other thing's._

_"__**I feel…awesome. Let's go.**__"_

_He tore his ear from the hole and looked in it. He saw the arm of the thing, shining black, not even remotely affected by the dust and smoke. From this distance, Ludwig could even see some purple hue within the black. The thing was holding its clawed hand out, as if waiting for someone to take it. A similar hand popped out of nowhere, still armoured, but…white. It took the black hand._

_Ludwig's heart sank lower. One tear formed in the corner of his eye when he saw what his brother had become. He was covered in white pearly armour in some places. His limbs were entirely covered, while his chest had some open spaces, as if it was assembled by someone who got distracted and forgot to put in the last pieces. He could even see his brother's Prussian blue outfit under it. His feet and hands were clawed, and the left part of his face was covered by something that resembled a skull mask. The thing and what was once his brother disappeared in the smoke. _

_Ludwig finally broke. He openly wept, under the debris, for the loss of his brother._

* * *

"He was caught by one of the Sentient Nightmares, and turned into a RED." Ludwig said.

Feliciano was crying, "But…why? Why did the Nightmare take your brother?" he sniffed.

Ludwig sighed. "I learnt that some time later. Arthur explained it to me. Sentient Nightmares feel…alone, in their own twisted way. All other Nightmares are just stupid pawns in their game. They want someone to speak to, or minions that can at least _talk _and _think_. So they choose people, selecting them by their greatest sin"

Feliciano frowned. "What…?"

"That Nightmare saw the Vainglory in my brother. Arthur told me his friend was selected because of his Lust… Mathias', Berwald's and Tino's friend was chosen because of his Sloth. You know…" Ludwig sighed. "…they are given a _coice. _'Die, or come with me'. They _choose_ to become REDs, they _betray_ the human race. And did you know? They call themselves REDs because it's shorter for 'Redeemed'…"

Feliciano stayed silent.

Ludwig continued explaining. "REDs look a bit like Sentient Nightmares, and develop a supernatural ability, too. I never saw my brother again, so I do not know about him. But Mathias told me their friend developed the power to create ice out of nowhere. And they know that because they _fought_ him. Berwald almost lost his eyesight because the RED froze his eyes, and Mathias has a big scar as a reminder. Tino says that he did recognize them all, but that he considered them just 'weak humans'."

Silence fell. Feliciano dried his tears, and wondered how Ludwig could manage not to cry. Said blond suddenly stood up sighing. "It's late. We both have had a heavy night, and you should rest to recover from the wounds." He was already half out of the room, when he heard a "_Grazie_, Ludwig. _Buonanotte._"

Ludwig closed his eyes. "_Gute nacht._" And then left.

Feliciano made himself comfortable, thinking about the whole RED story. He then fell asleep, into a deep slumber, for once without nightmares.

* * *

**so? so? did you like it? huh? huh? :3**

**i hope you did. i really enjoyed writing this part!**

**i dunno when i'll upload, but it definitely will be before or on next friday. C:**

**please review and tell me what you think about it!**

**oh! and by the way, i made a picture of this fanfiction (mostly its about this chapter, but WHATEVER), you can find it on deviantart!**

** /art/Nightmare-Apocalypse-Hetalia-358931820**

**:3**

_**Sheiße! : **(german) Shit!_

_**Arschlochs!** **: **(german) pieces of shit!_

_**Mein Gott... : **(german) my God..._

_**Gute nacht : **(german) goodnight_


	11. Thief!

**whoops! sorry, i'm uploading this a day earlier because i won't be able to do it on friday (ergo: tomorrow!)**

**and, to anyone who's wondering:**

**YES, spain and romano will make an appearance in the story!**

**and other charachters will be in here too, of course, but i'm not telling ****_yet_**** which ones :P**

**gah! i noticed a HUGE mistake in the previous chapter (i already edited it, but nontherless!) I wrote 'redempted' instead of 'redeemed', dangit. sorry, i'm still getting used to writing in english!**

**please tell me if you notice more mistakes (typing ones or grammar ones), i would be more than happy to correct them! thank you! :3**

**anyway, ENJOY**

* * *

He woke up very cheerful that morning. He had dreamt about soft kittens! Not about falling, for once.

Feliciano went straight to Arthur after he dressed himself. Firstly to get a look at his hand, and secondly for his bruises in general.

"Good morning, Feliciano." Arthur said, stretching on his chair, when he entered the medical room. Feliciano frowned. Had he…fallen asleep in his chair?

"Ve, _buongiorno_, Arthur! Why were you sleeping on a chair?"

Arthur shook his head, standing up and passing a hand through his hair. "Uh, I think I fell asleep yesterday while doing some research…" he yawned, rubbing one eye. "Anyway, I think we both know why you are here, yes?"

Feliciano nodded. "_Sì_! You said yesterday you had a theory!"

"Yes, actually, I do. Take a seat, please." He gestured towards the table.

The Italian sat on it, again dangling his legs.

Arthur yawned again. "Well…you see, I noticed something was odd yesterday. Both with the Nightmare and with you. Firstly, you stated you had this strange feeling that night, that only disappeared after you eliminated the Nightmare. Secondly, I witnessed this yesterday night: Nightmares rot after they die, like any other being, but they do _not_ become a puddle of nauseating black goo after a few hours."

Feliciano's eyebrows shot up. "Ve? What?"

Arthur nodded. "Yes. Strange, isn't it? Blimey, and it smelled _hideous_, believe me. Then, your hand looked as if it was burned. That's a normal reaction, considering the Nightmare's radioactivity. What _isn't_ normal is for the Nightmare to have burned marks too. Now…" he paused, "…could I just take a look at your hand for a minute?"

The Italian nodded, and started unwrapping the bandages. After they came off, he worried a little. It was red from the burns, and dotted with blisters. The faint glow in the opening had gotten brighter, and looked as if it was trying to emerge from the insides of his hand.

"…Hm." Said the Brit, examining the hand. "Interesting."

Feliciano frowned. _What does he mean, 'interesting'?!_ "Is it bad? Am I sick?!" he asked.

Arthur released his hand. "No, I don't think it's bad, or that you're sick. Calm down. I think…" he paused again. "I think you're like an…please don't mock me for the name…anti-Nightmare."

Feliciano didn't know what to say, so stared incredulously at Arthur instead. "What."

Arthur shook his head, walking around the room. "I know! But I do not know how to define it better! It's just… You sense Nightmares, you burn by touching their weak spots, but so do they! And you are not one of those black hideous things or a RED…" he stopped his ranting. "I suppose I should tell you what REDs are, huh?"

The small Italian shook his head. "Nope! Ludwig told me about them yesterday."

The Brit looked baffled. "_Ludwig_ told you?"

"Hm-hmm!" he nodded

"Ah. I see. So the conversation between you went well, I assume. Congrats, Feliciano! Anyway, like I said," he resumed talking as if nothing happened. "You are not a Nightmare or a RED. Rather, it's almost as if you're something in _between_." He stopped walking around and halted before Feliciano. "Nightmares have weak spots, and those look like that thing on your hand, even if something still doesn't add up. Then again, REDs maintain their human appearance, even if mutated." He sighed. "…I don't know, Feliciano. All I know is that thanks to that thing, thanks to the feeling you had, Ludwig wasn't a Nightmare's dinner. And for that I am grateful. Whatever it is, I do not think it's bad."

The Italian sighed, relieved. At least he wasn't a monster. Then he glanced at his hand again, holding it up as if it weren't part of his body. "But its…the thing is _glowing_, and it grew!" he whined.

Arthur shrugged. "I do not know about that, sorry. I think we will know more after some time. Do you mind if I check the other wounds you have? They're superficial, but it's better to be safe than sorry. And then we shall get some breakfast, alright?"

"Ok!"

* * *

'Breakfast' at the Rock meant 'drink something that vaguely resembles coffee and/or tea and eat two dried biscuits'.

Feliciano didn't like coffee, it tasted bitter and had a too strong smell in his opinion. But he needed to drink it, otherwise he wouldn't be able to swallow the biscuits or have the energy to walk around.

As they went to the dining-cave, they heard some noises coming from said room. As they stepped in the cave, they saw Tino and Mathias were arguing, and Berwald was trying to calm them down, without succeeding.

They sat down on their respective sofas. "Good morning, Ludwig. What's going on?" Arthur asked the German, who was sitting there facepalming.

The blond sighed, and lifted the palm from his face. "_Guten morgen_, Arthur, Feliciano. I don't know, I just got here." Feliciano saw he desperately needed a coffee.

The three of them started listening.

"There's no fucking way, Tino! It's not my fault! _Why_ are you accusing me?!"

"Then explain it to me! Who is always complaining about being hungry? Who, Mathias? You!"

"That's not true! Well, maybe it's true, but I wouldn't do such a thing! And I don't understand why you can't see it! Maybe it's because of your blondness!"

"If you hadn't noticed, _you're blond too, Mathias_!"

"_SHUT UP_!"

"C'lm d'wn, b'th of yoo! L't's t'lk about 't!"

"I'm not talking with a thief!"

"I'm not a thief!"

"Yes you are!"

"No!"

" _Kyllä!_"

"_Nej!_"

Arthur stood up. "WILL YOU BOTH QUIET THE HELL DOWN, PLEASE!"  
Everyone stared at him, startled. "Thank you." He said, returning frighteningly quick to his normal voice level and sitting down.

"You're scary, Arthur…" Feliciano whispered.

"Whoa, calm down, Eyebrows…" Mathias said, worried. One of Athur's eyebrows twitched in annoyance. If there was one nickname he hated more than 'Artie', it was 'Eyebrows'.

"What is happening?" Kiku said, walking in and reading immediately the atmosphere.

Arthur closed his eyes, straightening his shirt. "I think both Tino and Mathias are ready to tell us, hm?" he quickly shot a glare towards the two.

"Yesweare!" both blonds quickly said, straightening up as if they just got an order. Berwald sighed in relief.

Soon the seven of them were sitting around the table, in silence. Ludwig broke it.

"So…ah-ehm." He coughed. "Vhat happened?"

Tino sighed to calm himself down and glared at Mathias, blue-lilac eyes burning with anger. "Yesterday I went to look in our boxes of canned food because I thought of preparing some meat for today's lunch, for a change. I counted the cans to know if they were enough, and they were ten, more than enough for seven people. This morning I went there again because we were out of coffee beans, and I noticed two cans of meat had _mysteriously_ disappeared! Only _eight_ cans were left."

"And he instantly assumes it was me!" Mathias cut in.

Tino heated up again. "Yeah! Because the day before yesterday you so _casually_ said you'd LOVE to eat meat again, and then POOF two cans disappear!"

Feliciano, Kiku, Arthur and Ludwig felt like they were watching a tennis match. Back and forth goes the ball, left, right, left, back and forth…

"I'll say it again: _It. Wasn't. Me._" Mathias gritted his teeth, getting angry again.

"Sh't up, b'th of yoo." Berwald grunted. "T'no, who said 't was M'thias?"

Mathias nodded eagerly. "Yeah, Tino. Who said it?"

"I just know it." Tino snapped.

"D' ya have proof?" Berwald said.

"Yeah! Do you have proof?" Mathias repeated. "M'thias, st'p r'peating wh't ah say." The Swede murmured.

They all looked at Tino, who was now fiddling with his hands. "I…do not have proof."

"See! See! It's not my fault!"

"Kiku, could you confirm for us, please?" Arthur asked the Japanese.

KIku nodded, and looked Mathias straight in the eyes. "Did you steal the food?"

"Heck, no! I'd be ready to swear it on a mountain of bibles!"

The Japanese narrowed his eyes. They all held their breaths.

"He's telling the truth." He finally stated.

"Really, Kiku?" Tino asked. When the Japanese nodded, he was confused. "But…but then who…?"

"I don't think it's one of us. What do you think, Arthur?" Ludwig said, crossing his arms.

Arthur frowned. "I do not know. Of course no one of us would be so bloody _stupid_ to steal our own food, right?"

Everyone nodded.

"Then we must conclude the thief is from outside the Rock." The Brit stated.

"How is that possible?" Feliciano asked.

Arthur shrugged. "How am I supposed to know that? But to get far away from Nightmares…this is one hell of a good place."

Silence fell again.

After some minutes, Tino spoke up. "Mathias, I'm sorry for calling you a thief. I should have known that you weren't."

Mathias smiled. "No problem, Tino. I'm sorry for calling you blond."

"Again, M'thias, ya're bl'nd too…" Berwald said.

"Shut up!"

They all laughed, the tension of moments before gone like snow in the sun.

"I'm going to make coffee for everyone, then." Tino stood up. Kiku followed his example. "I shall assist you, Tino-kun."

The Brit got an idea. "Hey Tino, could you check if other goods are missing? Maybe our thief has been active for a long time, until we finally noticed."

"_Varma_!"

Ludwig rubbed his face with two hands, sighing. "I really need that _Kaffee_…"  
Arthur yawned. "Yes, me too. Even if I would sell my kidney for a cup of good old Earl Grey…"

When Tino got back(Kiku with the coffee), he reported more thefts. Not only had the meat been stolen, but matches, a bucket, three other cans of food and some of their vegetables too.

"The th'ef h's been act've a while, th'n…" Berwald slurped his coffee.

Tino nodded.

"Well…?" Mathias asked, standing up, his coffee and biscuits already gone. "What are we waiting for? Let's get this sonufabitch, _for helvede_!"

He ran off into one of the many caves, and Berwald sighed, standing up. "I'm g'ing 'fter h'm…he'll pr'bably do s'mthing stoopid again…"

Slowly, they all drank their coffee and ate their biscuits, and stood up to search the 'thief'. Feliciano ate one cookie and put the other one in his pocket. Maybe he would get hungry during the search…

* * *

_Meanwhile…somewhere else, but not far away…_

"Have you gotten completely _insane?!_ You got canned meat?!"

"I didn't know you were _vegetarian_."

"I'm not and you know it!"

"If you don't want the meat then go to fucking hell! I'll eat it myself!"

"That's not what I mean. Listen…"

"What."

"…They're bound to find out about this! It was fine until we got the vegetables, but canned meat is important, dangit. They will find out sooner or later."  
"Well, fuck them. I'm not going to eat fucking carrots all my life."

"…"

"Well? Are you going to eat it? Cause if you're not _I'd_ be more than happy to."

*sigh* "We need another place to hide… they'll search all the place."

"They won't find _this_ place, I chose it. It's damn safe here."

"That doesn't matter! I still don't understand why we didn't just go and _talk _to those people."

"Well, go then! Like I'd fucking care. I'm staying _right here_ and I'm _not_ moving."

"…"

"…So?"

"…I'll stay."

"Tsk."

* * *

_Back to the Rock family..._

Feliciano helped the search too, even if he knew he wouldn't be of much help anyway. He wandered aimlessly, humming '_bella ciao_' again.

Everyone was looking for clues: hair, footprints in sand, cloth…anything. They all were almost centimetres from every surface, let it be wall or floor. Mathias had even crawled for some time, but after making Ludwig and Arthur trip, he had quickly got on his feet again. They all looked…funny.

Feliciano smiled, despite himself. He slowly walked to the mirror cave, where he found a tall Swede scanning his surroundings.

"Ve, hello Berwald! Did you find anything?" the Italian chirped.

"_Nay_, s'dly. I 'lready ch'cked th' field, too…Ah'm going t' try m' luck els'wh're."

"Ok!" Feliciano smiled as he left. When the Italian was left alone, he turned his head around to look a bit. What could he do to be useful?

"Ve! I'll try and check the field again. Maybe he didn't see something!" he said to himself, remembering the Swede's bad eyesight. He began walking through the field, carefully looking at the ground before stepping on it, in case he saw footprints. He noticed two different trails, both of big feet. He assumed those were Ludwig's and Berwald's footprints. He then looked at his own footprints, so he would remember them. Even so, he once accidentally ended up following his own trail, thinking they were the thief's.

He groaned in frustration. Why was it so difficult? He looked around again, he had done almost all of the field. He had almost finished!

Feliciano smiled, encouraged by the thought of finishing. He fished the cookie out of his pocket and began nibbling at it. Almost at the end of his quest, near the farthest wall of the cave, he tripped. "Ah!"

He fell into the soft earth, thankfully not face-first again. He sat up, brushing some earth from his clothes. "Ve…I'm so clumsy!" he muttered to himself.

The Italian glanced around again, he had lost grasp of his biscuit. But he was so hungry! He searched for it on his knees "Cookie, cookie where are you? Ve…". Lifting one spinach leaf he found it, but he also found something else.

A print. A freaking footprint.

"Ve!"

He inspected it, forgetting about the biscuit. The print was small, almost like his. But it was deep, almost as if the guy weighed a ton. _Or…_ Feliciano glanced up, shielding his eyes from the reflecting mirrors. _…he fell. Wait, no, that can't be,_ he thought, _he would have died from that fall. Maybe he used a rope…that isn't long enough! Yes, that's it!_

"Ve!" he chirped. He finally found something. He glanced at the print again. He had to tell everyone about this! But… he stopped the train of thought. What if he was wrong? They would probably think he was stupid…

"Ve, I will go on my own! Yes!" Feliciano stood up, determined, smiling and clenching his fist. He would prove that he was worthy! He raced to the cave that lead outside, to confirm his theory.

* * *

**whew. feliciano runs off to do who knows what**

**hope you enjoyed this chapter! ;)**

**until next friday (or before that, as always)**

**remember i love reviews! **

**_Buongiorno! :_**(italian) good morning

**_Guten morgen :_**(german) good morning

_**Kyllä! :**_(finnish) yes!

_**Nej!**_** :** (danish) no!

**_Varma! :_**(finnish) sure!

**_Kaffee :_**(german) coffee

**_For helvede! :_**(danish) god damn it! (lit. to hell)

_**Nay :**_ (swedish) no


	12. Fuck you!

**Hi there everybody! how are you doing?**

**HOLY FLYING PASTA 1455 views, 22 reviews, 22 follows and 11 favourites!**

**thank you a lot! really! it makes me happy to know people like my story! *dries tear* it makes me feel important and brightens up my day!**

**anyhow...!**

**here's the new chapter! and YAAAY new charachters! :3**

**and ohmygod more than 3000 words! gee...!**

**ENJOY**

* * *

Feliciano got out of the caves, and immediately he winced when a horrible stench encountered his nostrils. He covered his mouth and his nose with the corner of his shirt and looked around. He soon saw a black puddle drying in the sun, where the Nightmare had fallen the night before.

"Eeew! That stinks!" the Italian exclaimed, wrinkling his nose. Arthur had been right, it smelled _awful_. And the desert heat did not really help, it actually enhanced the smell.

The Italian glanced around, looking for a way up. He needed to get on higher ground, so he could spot the mirror cave. He found a narrow path going up, and he followed it.

He soon started panting. It was hot, and the sun shone mercilessly on his head. Sweat was pearling on his forehead, and the Italian used a hand to clean it. Apparently it was useless, because the sweat he removed soon reappeared.

Finally he got high enough, on the nearly flat top of the Rock, and looked around, satisfied. "Ve! _Che bello_!" he breathed, watching the desert landscape before and under him. He shook his head. "Concentrate, Feliciano! Find the hole." The Italian moved his head to the right and then to the left, looking for it. He didn't see it, so he started walking around. He tripped here and there over rocks, and he got some bruises, but he did find it after some minutes. It was concealed so well by the scattered rocks on the outside that Feliciano didn't even see the mirrors on the inside.

He gripped the edge and glanced in the hole. Yes, it was the mirror cave. He smiled. The first step was complete! Now, what did he have to do again?

"Uhm… oh yeah! I need to find a rope!" Feliciano muttered to himself, looking around. He walked round the hole searching for anything that looked like a rope. After finding nothing, he started moving the stones to look under them. After what to Feliciano seemed like hours, he found it. It laid under one of the many orange rocks, all rolled up. The Italian picked it up. "Yes!" he held it up triumphantly, as if he had won a game.

"Hello?" he suddenly heard. That startled him so much he almost dropped the rope. Feliciano turned his head to look behind him, and saw someone approaching in the distance. On his quest to find the rope to prove his theory, he had completely forgotten who actually had caused all of this. _Oh no, the thief! And he'll get angry at me, of course! Why didn't I think about him? _Feliciano panicked, dropping the rope, and frantically looked around for a place to hide. He threw himself behind a rock, arms over his head but with his butt comically up in the air and – of course – visible behind his hiding place.

_Pleasedontfindme pleasedontfindme pleasedontfindme_ he repeated in his head, as if simply by willing for it, the thief would go away.

"Who's there?" the voice asked. Feliciano lifted an eyebrow. Was that a lady? The voice was feminine.

Of course she saw the blue butt behind the rock. She almost started laughing, but came closer trying not to make any sound. She got closer, and suddenly jumped on the man, restraining him. "EEP!" the man yelped in surprise, struggling weakly.

"Gotcha!" the girl smirked, holding the man's – no, boy's, she realized – arms pinned behind his back with one hand. With the other she unsheathed her knife from the holster and pointed it to his neck.

"EEEK! Please don't kill me! I will do anything you want, but don't kill me!" the boy squeaked, almost _crying_. "Now, stop saying stupid things and stop struggling! Who are you?!" she demanded.

Feliciano whimpered. The lady was weighing heavily on his back, and she was hurting his arms!

"I-I should be the one asking that!" he whined, glancing over his shoulder to look at her.

The lady had blond shoulder length hair, and gorgeous green eyes. She really looked cute, and around his same age. When she saw his face, she suddenly looked puzzled and confused.

"_Romano_? What the…?"

Feliciano whimpered again, shifting under the lady's weight. "I don't know what you're talking about, but please please _please_ get off my back!"

She looked dazed for some moments still, but then got up, and Feliciano sighed in relief, sitting up. She still held his arms and the knife though, and now a determined expression was on her face. "Who are you?!"

Feliciano yelped in surprise to the harsh tone. "I-I'm no one! Please let me go!" if his arms had been free, he'd put them up to sign that he was harmless.

"Say it or I'll sit on you again." She threatened, moving the knife left and right.

The Italian frowned, not wanting that, _or_ the knife. "My…my name is F-Feliciano…"

Her eyes narrowed. "…and?"

"F-Feliciano Vargas! Please don't kill me!"

She suddenly let him go. Feliciano didn't expect this, so he didn't move. "_Ga weg_…_het kan niet…_"

"What?"

She shook her head, not believing it, "Nothing.". She suddenly looked like she remembered something. "Hey, are you from the caves?!"

Feliciano nodded. "_S-sì!_"

The blond sighed, letting his arms go, but still pointing the knife at him, even if she lowered it a little. "You are looking for a thief, I presume."

The Italian stayed silent, wondering what he should say. "Yes…" he said, finally, eyeing the lady for any reaction.

She sighed again. "I knew this would happen. How did you find out? Was it because of the meat?"

Feliciano nodded. "So…Ah-hem." He coughed. "Y-you are the thief, right?"

The blond shook her head. "_Nee_." Feliciano was ready to say something, but she stopped him by waving her hand. "Wait. I need to ask you something."

He closed his mouth and listened.  
"Er…if I show you the real thief, could we both start living in the caves too?"

Feliciano gulped. _What, two people?! What should I do? _he thought. _I do not know these people! But… _he remembered Ludwig's words on his first day. 'Surivors have to stay together. Every man counts.' He chose to follow his advice. Well, technically there was a lady involved, but that didn't matter.  
The Italian nodded. "Yes! You could stay! But only if the thief stops stealing stuff." He added, satisfied for being smart for once.

She smiled, and put the knife back in the holster. She held her hand out. "_Dank je_. _Aangenaam_, my name is Bella Jansen."

Feliciano took it. "Ve! Nice to meet you, _piacere!_"

Bella frowned again. "I still don't get it…" she murmured.  
"What?"

"Nothing. I will take you to…the thief, now, ok?" She smiled, but Feliciano felt something was wrong.

Nonetheless, "Ok!" he said.

"Alright, follow me!" She lead the way through the rocks, and Feliciano followed her. They zigzagged all the place, until Bella went down a path that was very well concealed. It descended on the other flank of the Rock, until they got to an opening.  
"Here we are!" she chirped, very Feliciano-like. He smiled. "Ve! Call your friend then!"

She frowned a little, and said "He…doesn't trust the ones in the caves…you. I think you should better not show yourself, yet. Ok?"

"Sure!" he said, smiling, going backwards a few steps and so not standing in front of the opening of the cave. He didn't blame the thief for not trusting them. He had learned that trust was a difficult thing to earn.

She cupped her mouth with a hand and called. "Romano! I got news for you!"

Feliciano heard something move in the darkness of the small cave. Someone inside grumbled, annoyed, "What the fuck, Bella? What is it? I was sleeping, damn it."  
Bella walked inside the cave. Feliciano heard her voice echo a little. "I went to the hole and I talked to them."

Silence lasted a little. Then, it was almost as if the person inside had exploded. "WHAT THE FUCK?! Why did you do that?!" Feliciano almost had to cover his ears.

"Because I'm tired of you stealing! They agreed we could join them!"

"I don't fucking WANT to join ANYONE, do you hear me?! I'm staying RIGHT HERE!"

"But, Romano…!"

"NO BUTS! WHAT THE FUCK, BELLA!"

"Roma-"

"SHUT UP! It was fucking perfect here but YOU had to ruin it! And-"

"ROMANO! LET ME TALK!"

Silence fell, and Feliciano lifted his hands from his ears. He frowned, thinking. The name Romano had a familiar feeling, and so did the voice. Something flashed in his mind, an image, but it was gone before he could actually see what it was. He shook his head. What in the heavens was happening to him…?  
"I saw this guy. They are on to us-NO do NOT interrupt me! I said, they are on to us. They found out about the meat, and this guy was searching outside the hole. I got him, talked to him and he said it would be fine for us to join! Now we won't have to steal again!"

Unintelligible muttering came from the cave.

"Listen, whatever, Romano. We will go, understand? And one more thing. There's something strange, too. This guy I talked to…" she began whispering, and Feliciano had to strain his ears to hear. "…_he looks exactly like you, and even has the same last name_."

Silence fell again, for some minutes, until Feliciano heard: "Bullshit."

"It's true…"

"_Bullshit,_ I say! Let me see this guy! Where is he!? I'm going to fucking _kill_ him…!"

Feliciano panicked. He didn't want to die! He shifted a little, going backwards, and moved some stones. They fell lower and lower, rolling over other stones, making a _hell_ of a noise. Feliciano whimpered, not daring to move anymore.

"…He's here outside, isn't he? _Let me through, Bella!_"

Feliciano heard someone being pushed, and he assumed it was Bella. Someone stomped out of the cave, looking around, extremely pissed.

And looking…exactly like him. Well, mostly.

He had dark brown hair, and his skin was more tanned, but for the rest…he looked the same. The brown-hazel eyes had an amber-like shimmer to them, like his. He had the same face as him, even if it was contorted in a scowl. He even had a wayward curl popping out of his hair, although it was pointing to his right, opposite to Feliciano's curl.

Feliciano gasped, looking at his (almost) reflection. The other guy finally spotted him, and was ready to charge and tackle him down. But then he looked at him, and stopped dead on his tracks.

"_Ma che cazzo…? No, non…_" he stuttered in Italian, an incredulous look on his face washed away the scowl. "_Non è possibile…Tu… No, non è vero! TU non sei vero! TU SEI MORTO!_" he started shouting and pointing at him furiously, and Feliciano yelped.

"Ve! Don't hurt me, please!" he squeaked, shielding his face, but then the meaning of the words the other spoke sank into him, like lead weights. "…What…? I'm…dead?"

The other's face contorted again, but not because of rage. He started crying, grimacing. "…_Fratellino…_" he croaked, and stopped pointing. His arm fell beside his body, dangling as if he had lost all his strength all of the sudden. Feliciano looked at him, and saw the boy's eyes roll back into his head as he fainted. Romano fell on the rocky ground, and Bella caught his shoulders just in time.

Now it was Feliciano's turn to feel tears form in his eyes. He looked at the fainted boy, while he whispered, "…_Fratellone…?_"

Bella smiled a little. "I knew it you two were related." When she received no answer, she got up and waved a hand in front of Feliciano's eyes. "Hey, snap out of it! We need to carry him out of the sun."

The Italian blinked, one tear rolled down his cheek, but then he cracked a small smile. "Yes, you're right…! Let's bring him…let's bring him down to the others."

Bella frowned. "Are you sure? And…are you ok?"

Feliciano nodded eagerly. "Yes, and yes. Let's go!" he said as he grabbed his brother's feet. His brother's…his brother… his _brother_.

As the two were carrying the fainted man, on Feliciano's cheeks were rolling tears. He didn't know why. He wasn't sad or scared, so why was he crying?

His heart jumped a little in his chest when he glanced over his shoulder at Romano. He was happy. No, he was overjoyed to see his brother _again_. Again, because he remembered him. He _remembered_ his face, and his behaviour, and his bad mouth.

Feliciano smiled, looking up. He might finally be recalling who he really was. But then he remembered the words Romano had shouted. He was dead. At least, he was to him. Why? What had happened? Feliciano was sure it had to do with his broken memory. And he was determined to find out what had happened.

They arrived at the jeep, and Feliciano was exhausted. He let go of his brother's ankles, and wiped his forehead. He also quickly wiped the tears off his cheeks. The Italian turned to face Bella. "I'm…I'm going to call someone. Alright?"

The Belgian nodded. "_Ja_. Go."

Feliciano literally flew through the caves to get Arthur. He passed by Ludwig and Berwald, they eyed him stunned, but he didn't care.

He would have slammed open the door if Arthur's medical room had any, but lacking one he ran right through the curtain, panting. He wasn't there.

Of course. Everyone was looking for the thief. He ran through the caves until he found him in the cave with the stream. "Arthur!" he called out.

Arthur eyed him worriedly. "Whoa, whoa! What happened?"

"I…I got *pant* the thief *pant* but he *pant* I mean she *pant* no they *pant* and then…!"

"Calm down, Feliciano. Breathe. You found the thief?" Arthur said.

The Italian took a deep breath. "Yes, I found the thief! But they are two I mean only one steals I think but anyway I saw this print in the field and I thought they could have gotten in by the hole so I went outside to check and this girl found me and her name is Bella and no she probably isn't the thief and she asked me if they could come here and I said yes and so she brought me to the real thief but he was my brother and he fainted so we brought him here and they can stay, right?"

Arthur blinked. "Riiight. Feliciano, would you mind repeating that a tad slower and breathing more often?"

Feliciano nodded and started again, trying to talk more slowly, and in the meantime pulling him towards the entrance cave.

"So, if I get it right, this guy looks like you, recognised you and then fainted?" the Brit asked.

"_Sì!_ But…they can stay here, right?"

"Yes, of course. They'll have to go through my medical test, but that's it."

"_Evvai!_" the Italian exclaimed. "Thank you, Arthur!"

The blond smiled, and they hurried to the cave. Mathias neared them. "Hey, what's the matter? I saw Feliciano practically flying through the caves!"

"Feliciano found the thief, and I think there will be two more members of the Rock family." Arthur answered.

"Really? Cool! I can't wait!" The Dane said, excited, not caring slightly about the fact that the thief had caused the mess of that morning.

The three of them entered in the cave, and Bella stood up straight. Romano was sitting now, obviously recovered from the fainting. The Italian glared at the two new blondes, and turned his head in another direction scowling.

Bella stepped forward. "Hello, my name is Bella, and he's Romano. We're sorry to have stolen food from you-"

"I am NOT sorry." Romano interrupted her, growling.

She smiled a little. "He didn't want to go here, but finally here we are. And I apologize. Could we ask permission to stay here? Feliciano told me that we could stay…"

Arthur nodded. "Of course. You're both welcome here." He held out his hand. "I'm Arthur, pleased to meet you."

Mathias shoved the Brit away. "And I'm Mathias! Welcome tooo…" he made a dramatic pause, "THE ROCK!"

Bella laughed an shook his hand. "Thank you." She glanced to Romano, who was now standing but had turned his back to them. "As for him, don't worry… he just has a really bad temper." She whispered, winking.

"Fuck you." Romano said, making them all smile. Except Feliciano, who dared nearing him.

"R-romano…?" he asked, a bit afraid.

"Shove off, bastard. I'm not talking to you." The angry Italian said, still turned.

Another image flashed in Feliciano's mind. But it lasted longer than the previous one. He saw a situation like this, with Romano standing with his back turned in front of him, arms crossed. '_Fuck off, Feliciano.' 'Ve! I'm sorry, _fratellone_!'_ In the image, he tackle-hugged tightly Romano from behind. '_Gah! Let go of me!' 'I'm really sorry, Romano! Forgive meee!' 'Ack, fine, whatever! Just let me go already'_. Feliciano smiled a little, and re-acted the scene.

He tackle-hugged Romano from behind, surprising him. "I'm sorry, _fratellone_!"

"Gah, what the fuck?! Let me go!" Romano struggled to free himself, failing.

"I am really, really sorry for all I did! Forgive me…" Feliciano murmured, remembering that his brother thought him dead.

Romano stiffened. He didn't say anything, and for one agonising moment Feliciano thought he had done the wrong thing.

"Fine. Whatever. Just let me go now." Romano said in a low voice.

Feliciano let go, and straightened up. Romano turned to face him, and again there were tears glittering in his eyes.

"_Frate_-"

Romano punched him in the face.

"Feliciano!" Exclaimed the three blonds who had been watching the scene.

The small Italian rubbed his jaw where he had been punched, while looking at his brother, stunned. Romano's head was bowed, looking at the floor, and his arm was still outstretched from when he gave the punch.

"You fucking idiot." He said, looking up and letting his arm fall. "You, big, fucking idiot, Feli!" he repeated, his voice cracking and crying again. He then got near him, and held out his hand so that Feliciano could take it. Romano tried to maintain his expression straight, but tears were still rolling down his cheeks. He smirked. "I'm glad you're fucking alive, you moron."

* * *

**Yes, i know, i used Romano instead of Lovino. usually i prefer 'Veneziano' and 'Romano' because they are REAL names in italian, while 'Feliciano' and 'Lovino' do not exist. but in ****this**** story i chose for 'Feliciano', because it can be shortened in 'feli', which i think is real cute :3**

**as for Belgium, i know her name is Bella but there is no confirmed surname, so i just went for the most common surname in belgium: Jansen**

**what do you think about it? i hope you like how the story is going so far!**

**anywho, until next friday (or before that, like always)!**

**_Che bello! :_**_(italian) How beautiful!_

**_Ga weg_****…****_het kan niet... :_** _(dutch)No way... it can't be..._

**_Nee : _**_(dutch) no_

**___Dank je_. _Aangenaam. :_**___ (dutch) thank you. Pleasure (to meet you)_

**_Ma che cazzo…? No, non… :_** _(italian) What the fuck...? no, no..._

_**Non è possibile…Tu… No, non è vero! TU non sei vero! TU SEI MORTO! : **__(italian) It's not possible... you... no, it's not true! YOU're not true! YOU ARE DEAD!_

**_Fratellino... : _**_(italian) little brother..._

**_Fratellone...? :_**_ (italian) big brother...?_

**_Evvai!_****_:_**_ (italian) yesss!_


	13. Jokers everywhere

**hey there everybody! **

**oooooh! i see you liked the italian's reunion! im so happy! ^^**

**and OHMYGOD (*insert random exclamations here*) 1900 views! 1900! asdfasdagjfsafdjhagd and more reviews! *faints* **

**you guys are the best! :3**

**i'm writing this stuff again while i should be studying. **

**...**

**whatever!**

**ENJOY!**

**EDIT: i made a picture of Romano punching Feliciano (big LOL), you can look it on deviantart if you like! :P**

**/art/Fuck-you-moron-Nightmare-Apocalypse-Hetalia-360565276**

* * *

Romano and Bella followed Arthur after all the commotion. Feliciano sniffled, still rubbing his jaw where his brother had hit him, watching them.  
"Hey Feli, let's get inside, okay? It's getting dark already." Mathias suggested.

"Y-yes, ok."

"Are you okay?" the Dane asked.

Feliciano did not know what to reply on that. He shook his head, but said "Yes."

Mathias blinked. "_Riiiiiiiight_. That guy looked a lot like you. Is he your brother or something?"

The Italian nodded. "I think so…I do not remember him clearly, but I know that he is my brother…" he mumbled, thoughtful.

"Why did he punch you?"

"He has always been like that, if I remember right." He sniffled again.

Mathias suddenly patted him on the back with one heavy hand. Hard. It made the Italian stumble on his feet. "Agh! Ve! What did you do that for, Mathias?" he whined, startled out of his thoughts.

Said Dane began to laugh. "That's more like it! Don't sulk, Feli! You'll soon start remembering again. And now your brother will tell you more stuff, right? So cheer up!"

Feliciano smiled. "Ve! You're right! I really want to remember."

"_Godt!_ Now let's hurry up and get to the dining cave. I'm starving!"

"Eh, Mathias, the sun is just setting…we won't be eating before a couple of hours or more!"

"_Hvaaaaaad?!_ You've got to be kidding me!" the Dane exclaimed.

Feliciano giggled, cheerful again. Yes, he would talk soon to his brother.

* * *

"I heard the thief has been caught." Kiku said, kneeling on his pillow near the table. Tino and Feliciano were working together to make dinner, not so far away.

Ludwig nodded, leaning back on his chair, arms crossed behind his head. "_Ja_, Feliciano found them. He talked to them, and apparently they'll join us here at the Rock…"

"W'it, _them_?" Berwald just came in and sat on his chair.

"_Ja_, there are two of them. From what I understood, only one of them stole the stuff. The other one wanted to talk to us from the start."

"Oh, and she has gorgeous eyes!" The Dane cut in. He threw an arm over the Swede's shoulder. "Berwald, I think I might be falling in love again!"

"Ah d'n't think so, M'thias. She pr'bably h's someone else 'n m'nd." Berwald answered drily, removing the arm from his shoulders.

"What? No! Do you really think so?"  
Kiku sighed. "I think Berwald-san is right, Mathias-san. They both were together and survived together, so I think maybe she's already…what is the word I'm looking for…taken."

Mathias pouted and started complaining, gesturing wildly with his hands, and Ludwig facepalmed.

Meanwhile, in the 'kitchen' Feliciano and Tino were cheerfully blabbering about nothing in particular. They were making stuffed potatoes, with a sauce that the Italian had brewed together earlier.

Suddenly something dawned on the Fin. He turned to face the chestnut haired man.

"So, Feli, I heard from Mathias the thief was your brother… is that true?"

Feliciano stopped briefly from cutting the potatoes. He quickly resumed, though, and smiled. "Yes, you're right!"

Tino furrowed his eyebrows. "I bet that must be hard, with your memory and all…"

Feliciano put the knife down and began filling the potatoes, and Tino resumed helping him.

"It's true, but…I know everything will be alright!" he chirped. He wasn't going to sulk about that anymore.

The Fin smiled, "I'm happy for you, then. Now, let's get these cute potatoes in the oven!"

"Hm-hmm!"

They finished the potatoes and put them in the oven (which consisted in two holes: the lower one was for the fire, and the upper one for the food) and shifted a flat stone in front of it, so the heat wouldn't escape, even if they left a little opening.

They heard the commotion coming from not so far away. Apparently Ludwig was holding Mathias in a headlock because he said something, as Berwald was grumbling in that exact moment, 'stoopid'. Kiku was watching it all with a slightly amused expression on his face, as if it was his own personal comic show.

Tino and Feliciano glanced at each other and started snickering. When Mathias freed himself from the German's grasp, he shouted 'VICTORY!' on the table, but then was stricken by Berwald's elbow in the stomach. The idiotic fight continued for some time, and it got even stupider when Mathias ran off with Berwald's glasses.

"They are really having fun, ve!" the Italian whispered, not wanting to get their attention.

Tino giggled. "_Kyllä!_ But you still haven't seen anything! Heheh, I remember some times when Lukas still was around-" he abruptly clasped a hand over his mouth, eyes wide.

"…Tino?" Feliciano asked, suddenly worried.

The Fin lowered his hand and stared into nothingness, before snapping out of it. "Oh, nothing." He shook his head, and then glanced at him. He sighed. "I guess I could tell you, right? After all, it seems only fair. Do you know what REDs are?"

Feliciano nodded. Was this about the friend Ludwig told him about?

Tino stared at the fire under the oven, the orange flames reflecting in his blue-lilac eyes. "Lukas Bondevik was Mathias' best friend. Well, Mathias considered himself his best friend, while Lukas mostly tried to ignore him. Eventually though, they became really close. Then during the Third Phase, the Nightmares attacked the city we were all trying to live in. With 'we' I mean me, Berwald, Mathias and Lukas. It was a disaster, the whole city crumbled." The Fin closed his eyes for a while, as if he was reliving the moment. Then reopened them. "We were in a building when it started to collapse, and we got separated by rubble. I was with Berwald, while Mathias and Lukas were on the other side of a wall of debris. When the building finally crumbled, we all fell. We woke up some time later, and Berwald and I started looking for the others. We both noticed the battle had ended, and that wasn't a good sign. Then we finally found them, but we saw this…_thing_." Tino hissed the last word. "It was a Sentient Nightmare. I didn't really know it back then, but nonetheless I was really scared. Mostly because Mathias was lying unconscious not far away, blood on his head, and because of Lukas…accepting the thing's outstretched hand."

Feliciano nodded gravely, understanding. Ludwig had told almost the same story about his brother…

Tino sighed, glancing up from the flames. "Lukas became a RED right in front of our eyes. The thing then disappeared, leaving Lukas behind with an order. To…" he gulped. "…to kill us."

The Italian grasped the Fin's hand and squeezed it. Tino smiled a little. "Lukas gained the ability to create ice out of nowhere." he chuckled. "Guess it makes sense. He came from Norway, after all. Anyway, when Mathias woke up, he was devastated. He couldn't fight him, he just stood there, dumbstruck. And that was his worst mistake. He got hit all across his chest, and he still has a scar to remind him of that. Berwald and I tried to fight him, and after some time we finally succeeded in almost beating him. Not before Lukas had a chance to freeze Berwald's eyes, though. After that, I don't know the reason, he fled, and we didn't see him again."

Feliciano didn't know what to do, so he just hugged the Fin tightly. "I'm so sorry, ve!"

Tino smiled. "Don't worry, Feli. That happened more than a year ago, it's past."  
"But it's such a sad story!"

Tino nodded at Mathias, after releasing himself from Feliciano's hug. "Look at him, does he look sad?"

The Italian looked at the Dane, who was laughing like a maniac while being chased by an angry Ludwig and Berwald. "Nope."

"Exactly." The Fin smiled, but the expression soon transformed into horror when Mathias started heading towards them. "_TIINOOOOOOOOOO!_" The Dane was grinning wickedly, holding the Swede's glasses and one of Ludwig's shoes (how the hell did he even manage to get _that_?!) in his hands. He threw the glasses to Tino and the shoe to Feliciano, who just managed to catch it before the Dane crashed into him, knocking him down.

"Waaaah!" Mathias cried out.

"Ve!" Feliciano yelped.

"_Mathiaaas!_" Ludwig shouted.

Tino just started laughing, as he gave back the glasses to the Swede. "Th'nks, T'no."

"No problem!"

"Ghiaaah! Feli, protect mee!" Mathias scrambled behind the Italian, after they had sit up a bit. Ludwig was glaring, red from the running, but it looked like he was slightly amused of scaring the Dane. Feli smiled and stood up, giving the German his shoe back. "Here, Ludwig!"

"Thanks, Feliciano." He put on his shoe again and started tying the laces.  
"What? Feli, you weren't supposed to give it back! And Tino, you too! You _traitors_." He sniffled, acting as if he was hurt.

"Cut the crap, Mathias." Suddenly a voice said.

"Artie! Welcome back!" Mathias jumped up, running to the Brit. "But stay away from the kitchen, understand?"

Arthur held out a hand to stop the Dane at arm-length from his body. "Yes, yes, whatever. Anyway, they both passed."

"Really? Oh, boy!" The Dane cheered. Everyone smiled, as things returned a bit normal (ergo: everyone sitting down on their places, Tino and Feliciano returning their attention to the potatoes and Berwald leaving to find two chairs). Bella entered, greeted by a grinning Dane, and soon followed by Romano.

"Hello! Bella, Romano, now I can officially state it: Welcome to the Rock family!" Mathias cheered.

"Again, thank you, Mathias" Bella smiled. Romano growled, glaring at Arthur. "Stupid tea bastard." He muttered.

"Ve! _Fratellone!_" Feliciano chirped, leaping to hug his brother.  
Romano swiftly dodged him by sidestepping, and the small Italian crashed into the wall. "Oooow! That hurt, Romano!"

Romano grinned. "Serves you right, jackass."

Mathias gestured for them to sit. Feliciano glanced towards Tino, who nodded. He could take over the potatoes.

They all sat down around the table. By chance or on purpose, Berwald had positioned the two chairs in strategical places: Bella's chair was the farthest from Mathias', and Romano's was beside Feliciano's.

Silence fell. And it was an uncomfortable one.

"So, ehm," Bella coughed, sitting down. "Hello everyone! My name is Bella Jansen."

Everyone greeted her, and then turned to face Romano, who had a scowl on his face. He rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I'm Romano Vargas."

"…Wait, Vargas?" Ludwig raised one eyebrow. _But isn't that Feliciano's last name?_ He looked back and forth the two, and he noticed they looked very alike. "Wait…are you two related?"

"Yes, he's my _fratello_!" Feliciano smiled. Romano looked in another direction.

"That's great news, Feliciano-kun!" Kiku smiled, even though inside his head thoughts were ragingabout.

"Ve, I'm really happy!"

Romano scoffed. "Keh. Moron."  
"Awww, don't be mean!"

"Dinner, everybody!" Tino declared, with the cooked potatoes.

Everyone started eating, and the tension soon lifted. They started chatting.

"So, what is your story? How did you even end up at the Rock?" Mathias asked Bella, mouth full of munched potato. Berwald gave him another back-head slap to close his mouth.

Bella giggled. "Well, we've been travelling for a long time. We went from city to city, without bumping into anyone. Well, anyone human, at least. Until last month we came to the city here nearby, and we found some fresh jeep tracks. We followed them, and so we found out about this place." She ate a piece of her meal, and then continued. "I must say, this is one very good hiding place."

They all nodded. Arthur cut in. "But why didn't you come and talk to us? I mean, why steal?"

Bella glanced towards Romano, before answering. "Well, I wanted to, but Romano didn't trust you. He thought you would just throw us out."

"Re'lly?" Berwald wondered, looking at Romano. Said Italian ignored the stares he got and concentrated on his meal.

"Anyway," Bella continued, "we found this hiding place on the flank of the mountain, and we found a way to get in and get something to eat: with a rope in the cave with a hole in the ceiling. That's pretty much it!"

The conversation went on and on about many things, but Feliciano wasn't listening. He was side-glancing Romano all the time, who plainly ignored him. What should he do? Talk? Ask something? Another hug maybe? They all sounded wrong in his head. Maybe he should just wait until they had their time alone.

But he would have to wait longer than expected. In fact, after eating, they all started playing cards. And Feliciano, frankly, forgot a little about his brother. He was too caught up in the game to remain concerned about him, or his memory! As they neared the end of the games, he started cheating again, just to mess it all up.

"What should I set down, Bella? I really don't know!" He asked innocently, with begging eyes.

"_Don't let him fool you! He's the real master of the game here!_" Mathias hissed in Bella's direction.

Bella was slightly surprised. "What? Really?" he looked in Feliciano's brown orbs. "I don't think so." She smiled.

Ludwig sighed. "You'll soon realize it, trust me." He glanced over his cards to look at Feliciano.

"Ve! What if I put down…this?" he laid down his card, excited.

"Wait, an Ace of Spades? That can't be right… That card already passed!" Bella frowned.

"Exactly what we were trying to tell you. Watch out, he's just getting started." Arthur said.

In fact, shortly after that, Feliciano messed the whole deck up. Everyone started getting low numbers, two's, three's and so on, while the Italian just continued laying down Kings, Aces and Jokers.

Feliciano giggled as Kiku shuffled the cards, the Japanese man not taking his eyes off of him. As the new game began, something didn't add up to Feliciano. The others were playing good again, and the cards weren't double or whatever! Someone was _cheating back_, undoing the mess he made.

He looked around, trying to find the cheater. When it was his turn, he took his card (and added a double one to the deck) and looked carefully for who it might be.

He noticed it was Romano's turn. The boy hadn't spoken for the whole evening. But when he placed his hand over the deck, he glanced at Feliciano. Feliciano narrowed his eyes, and Romano smirked. But when he retracted his hand, the deck looked normal, so Feliciano didn't pay any attention to it. He continued searching for the other cheater, but didn't find one.

Turn after turn, something strange happened. Every time he drew a card, he got a Joker. Now that wasn't right.

Berwald suddenly put down his cards, revealing he had won. With three Jokers.

"Whaaaat? That can't be right, Berwald! I have two Jokers!" Mathias exclaimed.

"I got two too." Said Kiku, and then Ludwig.

"I got one!" Bella said, waving the card. "Me too!" Tino echoed.

Arthur set down his cards. "And I have three. Feliciano!"

"Ve! It wasn't me, I swear!" he squeaked. "I got four!"

Romano put down his cards. "One."  
"Nineteen Jokers in one game, that can't be right. Feli, where did you even _get_ all these Jokers?" Arthur said, picking up the deck.

"Ve! I repeat, it wasn't me!"

The Brit looked through the cards, and looked _very_ surprised.

"Hey Eyebrows! What's wrong?" The Dane asked.

Arthur was too baffled to even notice the annoying nickname. "Half of the deck has been swapped with Jokers!"

"Wh't." Berwald mumbled.

The Englishman showed it to all of them by laying the cards down. Indeed, half of them were Jokers. "What the…? Feli, you sure got good with cheating!"

"Are you even listening? It wasn't me!" Feliciano complained. He suddenly turned to look at Romano, who was actually smiling.

"_Fratellone?!_"

When everyone turned to look at him, he started laughing. Bella smiled when she heard that. This was the first time he laughed in more than six months.

"Hahahahah! You should see the dumb looks on your stupid faces! Priceless!"

"You?" Ludwig said, incredulous. Everyone was staring, jaws dropped.

"Hahah! Heh, I admit, it was funny fucking stuff up. I guess I'm going to bed then, now. So long, suckers!" Romano stood up, and was about to leave, when he turned. "Shit. Where do I sleep, actually?"

They all cracked up, recovering from their astonishment.

"Ah, right, I think we should rearrange the rooms, since we are with two more people…" Tino suggested.

They all stood up as the arrangements were made. Berwald would sleep with Tino, giving his room to Bella, and Romano would sleep with Feliciano.

Feliciano gulped, suddenly remembering what he should be doing with Romano.

He stopped, while everyone got out of the dining-cave. Ludwig halted too for a second, noticing him. "Are you coming?" he asked. Feliciano nodded, so the German continued walking.

The moment of talking to his brother would come sooner than expected. He was scared, but determined to find out more about it all. He took a deep breath and then followed everyone to the rooms.

* * *

**i hope you enjoyed it!**

**Feliciano is a good cheater, but Romano OWNS him on that! XD**

**and YES there will be finally some more explanations in the next chapter, dont worry! C:**

**(i will be uploading it this friday, i promise)**

**_Godt :_** _(danish) good_

**_Hvaaaaaad?! : _**_(danish) whaaaaaat?!_

**_Kyllä : _**_(finnish) yes_

**_Fratellone :_** _(italian) big brother_


	14. Romano's story

**as i promised here i am on friday! ciao everybody!  
guys! girls! i love you all! 2150 views! :'D**

**i promise i will make pasta for everyone when this story finishes! ve...! 3**

**i saw you liked the two brothers cheating XD i really enjoyed writing that part C:**

**i apoligize in advance for this chapter (you will understand once you read it) *hides behind rock defensively***

**anyway!**

**ENJOY**

* * *

When he entered his room, after wishing goodnight to everybody, he saw that Romano was already lying on the mattress, his back turned to him. Again.

Feliciano sighed, and started taking off his shoes and preparing himself for the night.

When he sat on the mattress, he 've'd. He had another flash in his mind. Again, a scene that had happened before: him, going to bed with his brother. He smiled and said the same words he had said back then. "It's been so long since I had big brother to sleep with, right?" he laid himself down, and Romano did not respond. He did, however, hit him with his elbow by turning around.

"Gh-ack!" Feliciano gasped, the air shooting out of his lungs.

"Serves you right, you bastard." Romano muttered glaring, before turning his back on him again.

"Ve, wait!" Feliciano sat up again. His brother did not bother to move at all. "What is it."

Feliciano put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Romano, I want to tell you something…and to ask something, too!"

Romano turned and sat up a bit. "Be quick. I'm fucking tired."

Feliciano hugged him again.

"What the FUCK, Feliciano! Let me go!" Romano tried to wriggle free from his brother's grasp.

The smaller Italian shook his head, voicing his worst fear. "No! Because…because…I don't want to forget you again!"

Romano suddenly stopped struggling. "What did you just say?"

"I…I don't want to…forget again." Feliciano mumbled, tightening the hug. He really felt guilty about it, now that he knew he had forgot a brother. What else had he forgotten, missed, lost? He actually felt kind of scared when thinking about that. As if he was staring in a black bottomless pit, and the pit was staring right back.

Romano turned a but to look at him. "Forget? What are you talking about, dimwit?"

Feliciano gulped. "I…l-lost my memory. All of it. I woke up two…no three weeks ago in the nearby city with no memories at all. I'm sorry if I forgot all about you, fratellone…" he let his brother go.

Romano took the chance and slapped him on the back of the head, very Berwald-slapping-Mathias-like. "You idiot! Stop bulshitting me!" he thought for a moment that he was joking.

Feliciano did not answer to that, looking down at his fiddling hands.

The older Italian suddenly realized he was telling the truth.

"_Che cretino che sei, Feliciano_." He said in Italian, his gaze softening a little. "So you really don't remember anything? Anything at all?"

Feliciano shook his head, and Romano sighed. "The fuck, Feli."

"A-and you thought I was dead…no, you said that I was dead… what happened, fratellone?" Feliciano asked, voicing yet another of his greatest fears.

Romano took a sharp breath. He did not want to talk about that. Nononononono.

The smaller Italian noticed that by looking in his brother's eyes. "Oh, it's okay if you don't want to talk about it! I mean…it must have been hard, right? So…well… _buonanotte allora_." He laid himself down again, and pulled the covers over his body.

"Wait. I think… oh fuck me, I'll tell you, damnit." Romano stopped him.

"Ve! You will tell me? Then you do care! You're so nice, Romano." The Italian cheered up.

The other's face reddened. "S-shut up, moron. I just think you should at least have memories that go further back than two weeks, okay?"

"Sure, okay!" Feliciano smiled.

"…Tch." Romano started telling the story.

* * *

_…Thirteen months earlier…_

_The two brothers were walking through the destroyed city._

_"Ve, fratellone, _ho paura_." Feliciano whimpered, some tears in his eyes._

_"Shht! Be quiet."_

_The Nightmares had attacked this city the day before (during the fucking DAYTIME, dammit!), and they both had survived by a hair's width. They now were trying to get out of the city, but many streets were blocked because of collapsed buildings. It had made escape difficult. And the sun was setting fast, in an hour or so it would be dark and…Romano did not want to think about that. He tightened his grip on his sword, and gulped. "Let's just hurry up, okay?"_

_"Hm!" Feliciano nodded._

_They walked on, until they finally got into one street, and Romano saw a way out of the damned city. "Finally! Let's get out of here, Feli."_

_Feliciano yelped behind him. "Ouch! R…romanooo!" _

_"Oh for FUCK'S SAKE Feliciano, what the…" he said annoyed, turning around and then gasping._

_One of the many stones had been shifted, and from under it had popped out an arm. A long, hideous, black-armoured hand. It had clasped itself around Feliciano's ankle, who had fallen, and who tried to kick the hand unsuccessfully._

_"_Molla subito mio fratello, Incubo figlio di puttana!_" Romano shouted, running back towards his brother. He hit the hand with his sword, and the thing let go, even if he hadn't even hit e weak spot. Guess he was just lucky._

_"Quick, get up and let's move before all those bastards wake up!"_

_Feliciano nodded, crying a little because of the scare._

_They both ran like hell(and they were pretty good at running), but then the stone where the hand had come from shattered with a loud crack. The brothers glanced over their shoulders, and saw a Nightmare get out from the space under it. Romano frowned. What the hell was it?! It looked almost…human? Sure, it had a huge build, but it still was human-shaped._

_"Ve! What is that, fratello?" Feliciano asked, frightened._

_"How am I supposed to know? Just run, dumbass!" Romano almost shrieked. Totally not girly-like, mind you._

_The thing eyed them almost amused, and then…Romano blinked, and it disappeared._

_"Oh shi-"_

_Something suddenly tackled Feliciano down. "Vee!" "Feli!"_

_The thing pinned Feliciano to a wall by the neck. Feliciano coughed, choking, the monstrous hand closing his windpipe. "HEY! G-get your filthy hands off my brother!" Romano shouted, pointing his sword at the thing. He was acting brave, but his legs and voice were shaking. He quickly scanned the enemy's body for a weak spot, but did not find one. Fuck! Even its face was completely armoured! But only if you called that a face. It looked as if it had nothing on it, except the eyes: no nose, no mouth, no ears…. It was almost as he was wearing a plain helm with just two holes for its eyes. Well, that sucked._

_"Let him G-GO, damnit!" he threatened the Nightmare again, his voice shaking. Feliciano in the meantime was still choking, but the Nightmare seemed to have lost interest in him. He turned his FULL attention towards Romano, who started shaking even more, but it did not release the Italian's neck._

_It looked at him, and Romano felt a shiver run down his spine. It looked as if it was…smiling…! But it didn't even have a mouth…! Romano suddenly only saw its eyes, and he felt himself falling into those deep violet depths…_

_Romano snapped out of it when he noticed his brother's chokes had stopped. He looked at him in horror as he saw his eyes roll back into his head, losing consciousness. The Nightmare let him go, and Feliciano sank to the floor motionlessly._

_"_T-tu, brutto figlio di puttana…_" Romano said, tightening the grip on the hilt of his sword. The Nightmare tilted his head to one side, almost like a curious child. Then Romano 'felt' the thing smiling again._

_**"Ooh, such beautiful Cowardice…"**__ it said in a distorted voice. _

_Wait, the thing could talk?!_

_The monster made a step towards him. Romano panicked, swinging his sword left and right. "DON'T COME ANY CLOSER, YOU FREAK!"_

_The thing plainly ignored him, stepping closer. And still with that creepy smile, and those wicked eyes…Romano felt himself falling in them again…_

Nononono, NO! Snap out of it! _He commanded himself, clearing his head. _I need to get out of here! But what of Feli…?_ He glanced over to his brother, motionlessly on the ground behind the Nightmare. "_C…CAZZOOOOOOOOOO!_" he yelled desperate, stepping backwards a little, grimacing and with tears beginning to pool in his eyes._

_The thing spoke again. __**"You know, you would have died already if not for one thing…my choice..."**_

_Romano growled, the tears threatening to fall out of his eyes._

_**"You could survive all of this. You could save…your dear life. And maybe your companion's as well, hm…?"**__ the Nightmare had a persuasive tone, and walked really calmly towards him._

_"S-shut up! _Chiudi quella cazzo di bocca, Incubo di merda!_" Romano retorted. What did the thing want from him?! _

_**"Such liveliness… Why throw it all away, when you could just…KeEp On LiViNg…?"**__ The last words the thing spoke got even more distorted, if that was possible._

_Romano's head was spinning. He couldn't think straight, or see straight, for that matter. Those glowing violet eyes were dancing in front of his vision, then they were swallowed by black, and then they popped up again… He saw horrible images. His brother, attacked by Nightmares, screaming in pain. Himself, being already devoured by one. Blood…_

_**"Why not come…with me? You could live on…without any fear…knowing you have saved your fellow human's life…"**__ The Nightmare kept on talking, a small hiss in his voice. He was really close now, at arm's length, and Romano was paralyzed. He did not know what do to._

I…I can't accept this thing's offer! It's a Nightmare, damnit! What the hell is he planning with me? But then again… _he glanced towards his brother, who was still lying motionless._ If I don't, we both die…

_**"What will it be, human? Do you…accept…?**__" the Nightmare stretched a hand to him, waiting for him to take it._

_Romano felt dizzy. _What do I do? What do I do?! WHAT DO I DO?!

_"I…I…" he swallowed, and lowered his sword, losing grip of it. It clattered on the ground. "I…a-accept…". He closed his eyes, defeated. At least Feliciano would live… He looked up at the Nightmare, waiting for whatever was to come._

_The thing 'smiled' again, more widely.** "I'm glad you made the right choice…human."**_

_The Nightmare retracted its hand, closing the palm except the index and middle finger. It lunged forward, aiming for his heart. Romano gasped, and closed his eyes shut, falling backwards and expecting the pain of the thing's claws in his chest…_

_But it never came._

_He heard the sound of ripping flesh and broken bone, but he did not feel it._

What the…?

_He fell on his butt, and opened his eyes, not knowing what to expect._

_He did NOT expect that. Not that back. Not that blue jacket…_

_He started crying. _

_"F…fe…" _

_The figure in front of him fell on his knees, slowly, as if in slow motion. Then he fell sideways, revealing the Nightmare still standing in front of him. And its hideous hand was bloodied._

_A wail came out of his mouth, scrambling over to the fallen figure._

_"__**FELICIANOOOOOOOOO!**__"_

_**"This was not expected…he doesn't even have the requirement… he'll just die."**__ the Nightmare said, almost disappointed. Then it smiled in a twisted way again. __**"Oh, then I'll just have to kill you too, hm? But first I'll enjoy seeing you in agony, human…"**__ he stepped back a little, almost as he was trying to be _kind_, giving the two brothers some space._

_Romano was despairing, pulling his brother's shoulders up and turning him to see his face. He was still breathing, but Romano felt hopeless when he saw Feliciano's punctured chest, right where his heart would be. Blood was oozing from the wound, and was already pooling under them. Romano's hands became sticky, and his vision was blurred from the tears._

_"Feli…"_

_His awfully pale brother focused his eyes on him, and forced a small smile, tainted by the blood flowing out of his mouth. "_Stupido…fratellone…_" he just managed to form the words._

_Romano was crying harder and harder. "God d-damn it, Feliciano! What the f-fuck was t-t-t-that for?" his voice trembling, trying to deny the horrible truth._

_"Romano…I didn't want you…to do that…" Feliciano wheezed. "I…" suddenly his eyes were out of focus. "_Fratellone…?! Dove sei…?_"_

_"I-I'm right here, Feliciano…" Romano hiccupped._

_" It's dark…_fa freddo_…" Feliciano whispered as he clung to his brother's chest, tightening the grip._

_Romano wanted to say something, but his throat was knotted. He sobbed, hugging Feliciano tighter._

_The smaller Italian breathed some more times, but then fell silent. He relaxed in Romano's arms, his last breath wheezing out._

_"Feliciano…?" Romano sobbed. _

_No answer._

_"…Feliciano?!" he started shaking him a little._

_Still no reaction. His brother's eyes were staring in nothingness, dull. The bright amber-like shimmer gone from his brown orbs._

_"Fuck, no…" he cried louder, and shook him more violently. "Feliciano! _FELICIANO! RISPONDI, CAZZO! I TUOI OCCHI SONO ANCORA APERTI!_"_

_His brother still lied motionless. _

_"_R-rispondi…per favore rispondi…_" he sobbed._

_Romano had no strength to form words anymore. He wailed loudly, tears falling on his brother's cheeks as he hugged him more tightly, not wanting to let go._

_Someone clapped his hands slowly. But it was a strange clap, sounding metal-like…_

_The Nightmare was clapping, smiling again. Feliciano's blood was tainting its right claw._

**_"Bravo! Really touching! That was really…emotional!" _**

_The Italian tilted up his head, not believing what he had just heard. Just what kind of monster was that thing?_

_The thing stopped clapping, the smile disappearing. __**"But it is time for you to be gone, now. You are of no use to me like this."**__ It started approaching them. Romano bowed his head, defeated. He could not fight anymore. He shut his eyes, tears still falling on Feliciano's awfully white face._

_When he heard the Nightmare scream, however, he suddenly looked up._

_The monster was grasping its right hand, screeching. Romano saw the hand smoking. _What's happening?

_Still holding his hand, the Nightmare stopped screaming.__** "What is this?! It burns!"**_

_"Hey! You there! Big, black and ugly! Get away from him!" someone yelled._

Who's that?

_Two people appeared on his right, both holding rifles. But Romano had not heard a single gunshot. Then why was the Nightmare screaming…?_  
_**"Puny, insolent humans… YOU…"**__ the thing glared at him, with its violent purple eyes. __**"You WILL pay."**__ Romano blinked, and the Nightmare disappeared._

_The two people rushed to him._

_"Hey, are you alright?"_

_"It doesn't look like it…oh God…"_

_They stopped when they saw he was holding the corpse tightly, glaring at them. _Daring_ them to take him away._

_One of them neared him, and kneeled, getting to his eye-level. "Hey…I'm really sorry…but-"_

_She reached a hand out to him, but he snarled, scaring her away._

_No one would touch his brother. No one would take him away from him._

_No one. No one. No one…_

_"He's in shock, Bella."_

_"We can't blame him now, can we?"_

_"I suppose not…"_  
_"Well, you try it, then, clever boy."_

_The other one got near him, and kneeled. He did the same as the girl before, stretching out his hand, and Romano growled again, like a wounded beast. He hugged Feliciano's corpse tighter._

_The man just smiled. Was he stupid or something? He was going to fucking bite his hand if he did not take it back…!_

_While he was thinking, the man got closer and put the hand on his shoulder. He smiled, fucking _smiled_ again._

_"Hi, my name is Antonio. I'm sorry I have to do this…I really am."_

_Romano was ready to lash out to the man, but the other was quicker. He struck him on the back of the head, and he fell unconscious._

* * *

Feliciano was shocked. He really had died!? And by a Sentient Nightmare's hand, too! He fiddled with his shirt, trying to pull it up. He found what he was looking for, and that confirmed his brother's story. Not that he didn't believe him in the first place, but… He just told him a story in which he died. It was a difficult story to believe…! But then he saw the faded scar in the middle of his chest. It was true...

Romano 'Tch'ed. Then he blushed, turning into a deep shade of red. "I…I'm just really fucking glad you're alive, fratellino."

Feliciano still did not understand something, though. "But…why didn't Bella recognize me right away then? And what happened after that…Antonio knocked you out?" he said, pulling the shirt down again.  
Romano scowled, and his eye twitched at the mention of Antonio. "How am I supposed to know? Apparently she did not saw you clearly. Antonio told me Nightmares were beginning to wake up, and that they had no time to convince me to let you go… And that we could not bring you away. I was _furious_ at him for months."

Feliciano nodded, thoughtfully. But…where did Antonio go then, if Romano had stayed only with Bella? He had the slightly terrifying feeling he would know the answer to the question though… "W-what happened to Antonio?"

Romano emitted a low growl. "The moron got himself caught by the same Nightmare he saved me from. I guess the monster was right. I did pay. The thing turned him into a RED. Fuck."

Feliciano saw this hurt his brother a lot. He wasn't scowling, but his gaze was lost in nothingness, far away. So Feliciano hugged him tightly again. "Ve! I'm so sorry fratellone!"

"Shut up, jackass. It's not like you can do anything about it anyway." He wriggled himself out of his brother's grasp and laid himself down again, turning his back to him. Feliciano heard him mumbling some Italian curses, and then something like '_Ma grazie lo stesso_'.

Feliciano smiled, and laid himself down too. "_Buonanotte, fratellone_."

Another mumble from the other side of the mattress.

But sleep was distant from Feliciano. He still did not understand so many things. How did he survive? Why? And why did the Nightmare's hand burn? Was Arthur's 'anti-Nightmare' theory correct, maybe?

So many question marks started building up in his head, he got tired of it soon enough. He eventually fell into a deep slumber.

* * *

***makes herself smaller behind the rock* i know, i'm SORRY, okay?! i've been really cruel with the two brothers! D:**

**hey, i left some clues to figure out who the Sentient Nightmare is! can you already guess? (i did not make them obvious, but still...)**

**and i ****_know_**** almost all the 'action' has taken place in flashbacks. i promise i will write it in the present soon enough!**

**until next chapter (as always, i will upload next friday and maybe before that)**

**whoa, a lot of italian in this chapter**

**sorry for romano's foul mouth :P**

_****__Che cretino che sei, Feliciano : __(italian) you're such an idiot, Feliciano_

_**ho paura : **__(italian) i'm scared_

**_Molla subito mio fratello, Incubo figlio di puttana! : _**_(italian) let my brother immediately go, Nightmare son of a bitch!_

**_T-tu, brutto figlio di puttana… : _**_(italian) Y-you, ugly son of a bitch..._

**_C…CAZZOOOOOOOOOO! : _**_(italian) S...SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!_

**_Chiudi quella cazzo di bocca, Incubo di merda! : _**_(italian) shut your fucking mouth, fucking Nightmare! (lit. Nightmare of shit)_

**_Stupido...fratellone... :_**_ (italian) stupid...big brother... _

**_Fratellone…?! Dove sei…? : _**_(italian) big brother...?! where are you...?_

**_Fa freddo... : _**_(italian) it's cold..._

**_RISPONDI, CAZZO! I TUOI OCCHI SONO ANCORA APERTI! : _**_(italian) ANSWER, DAMNIT! YOUR EYES ARE STILL OPEN!_

**_R-rispondi…per favore rispondi… : _**_(italian) A-answer...please answer..._

**_Ma grazie lo stesso : _**_(italian) thanks anyway_


	15. Meow!

**whooooh! another chapter!  
it's very short, though.. i promise next chapters will be longer!**

**(oh, and i'd like to remind you this is NOT a romanoXbelgium fic, but it will be romanoXspain!)**

**huh...that's all, i think...**

**ah! i made a picture of the Sentient Nightmare of the previous chapter! (whose identity you almost all guessed, dang it. am i that ovious?! XD) it's here on deviantart, if you are interested:**

**/art/I-am-the-one-hiding-under-your-bed-361300302**

**anyway**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

The following week passed without anything important happening.

Kiku started training Feliciano in close combat (the Italian refused to come near any gun) with his weapon of choice : … a stick. Or rather, a wooden staff.

"B-but why this?" asked the Japanese.

"I don't want to hurt anyone badly!" was the answer. Ludwig, who had been watching the scene, facepalmed. "Feliciano, you are _supposed_ to actually _hurt_ those things…"

Feliciano smiled more. "Ve! But I'm clumsy, so I do not want to hurt others accidentally! And look! If I get a white cloth and knot it here and there I get a white flag!"

Now it was Kiku's turn to facepalm.

Anyway, they started training, and so did Bella and Romano. Romano was quite skilled using his sword (which he had retrieved from his previous hiding place) and Bella used an axe (smaller than Mathias', though), and they both were good in using rifles.

Berwald and Mathias went out to find something in the city twice, but always came home empty-handed.

Every evening Romano or Feliciano would cook, and then they would play cards. Sometimes the two started cheating and so the game finished in chaos, much to the Italians' amusement.

Feliciano still had not told Arthur about his 'death', but he was going to, soon enough.

* * *

Then one day Arthur came back from outside with something new. And it was resting in his arms.

"Ve, Arthur! Where did you get that kitty?" Feliciano asked, skipping over happily.

Ludwig sighed. "Really, Feliciano? A cat? That can't be…" following the Italian to meet Arthur.

Yet it really was a cat, resting in the Englishman's arms.

"Oh." Said the German. "I take it back."

"Meow" purred the cat weakly. It was a small beige cat, with some darker spots on the back and head and (oddly enough) a small curl on the side of the head.

"Ve! _È adorabile_!" chirped the Italian, already petting the cat.

Arthur frowned. "Something is not right about this cat…could you please come with me, Feliciano? I want to check on him."

The Italian nodded, his curl bouncing up and down, and skipping to the Brit's medical room. Ludwig stayed behind.

When the two got in the room, Arthur closed the curtain and put the cat on the table. Feliciano observed him closer. Its fur was caked together in some places, by a black sticky substance… and the cat did not look tiptop either.

"What happened to him, Arthur?" Feliciano asked, petting the cat's head again.

Arthur frowned. "I do not know exactly. But let me tell you what I saw… I went to the black nauseating remains of the Nightmare again, just to observe if it was still there. And I found it stuck in the grime."

Feliciano gasped and hugged the kitten. "Oh my gosh! Poor little kitty!"

The Brit coughed. "Ah-hem, I don't think you got the point, Feli."  
The Italian looked up. "Huh?"

"The cat was stuck IN the grime completely. Look closer, not only its paws are dirty, but the whole body. And what would a cat be doing in the middle of a desert…?"

Feliciano still did not het the point. Arthur sighed.

"_The cat _was the Nightmare, Feliciano."

...  
What.

"What? That can't be! It…it died a week ago! And…and it _died_, Arthur! And it can't be this cat! It's adorable! I think he just fell in that puddle, right, kitty?" Feliciano started ranting, talking to the cat.

"Feliciano! Don't you see what I mean? If what I say is right (and it is, so don't argue) you just… _cured_ a Nightmare." Arthur excitedly put a hand on the Italian's shoulder.

He was confused. "But…that can't be, right? It's impossible…?"

Arthur started walking around the room again. "Alright, let's think this through. Take a Nightmare, kill it, it dies – _bam_ – and falls. See, what usually happens is that it rots, like any living being. But this Nightmare started _melting_ and became a puddle of nauseating goo. It stayed a puddle for a week, and then in the goo I found this cat. The only difference between a 'normally' killed Nightmare and the one here outside was that you hit it with your right hand. Feliciano…" he suddenly became serious again, "…you _cured_ that Nightmare. I am sure of it."

Feliciano did not really believe him. "Do you really think that this…" he held his right hand up "…cured a monster?"

"I really do. By the way, let's take a look at it, hm?"

Feliciano unwrapped the bandages and turned the hand in front of his eyes. His burns had already healed, he did not have blisters anymore. The thing on his hand had grown again though, he noticed. It was glowing faintly a white light, and had emerged a little.

Arthur started inspecting it. "It has grown a little, huh?"

Feliciano shifted uncomfortably. "H-hey, Arthur?"

"Yes?"

"I need to tell you something."

He told what his brother had told him the night before. All of it: him with Romano, him dying, the Sentient Nightmare screaming when its hand began to smoke.

When he finished, Arthur had a pensive look on his face, and was rubbing his chin with one hand. "What the hell…it doesn't make any sense…"  
"I-I know, but it's true! I have a scar to prove it!" Feliciano pulled up his shirt to show the circular faded scar in the middle of his chest.

Arthur shook his head. Then he began pacing around the room again. "So, this Sentient Nightmare wanted to turn your brother into a RED. You jumped in front of him and took the blow instead. It should have infected you, but it didn't, because apparently you did not have the requirement: a sin. Then it should have killed you, but obviously it didn't. So what happened? You're still alive, and have something that resembles what Nightmares have. But it's almost as if you're toxic _to them_. Also to that Sentient Nightmare, back then." Arthur stopped walking around. "You definitely are an 'anti-Nightmare'."

Feliciano stared at his glowing hand. Then to the cat, who had fallen asleep. "So, what do we do?"

The Brit shrugged. "I don't know. The safest thing to do now is wait, so…we'll wait."

The Italian nodded. "Ok! Uh…" he looked at the cat again. "Shouldn't we clean him up?"

Arthur smiled. "Yes, sure. Let's go."

* * *

…_Meanwhile, in some other place…_

Three shadows sat in the dark, motionless. Waiting.

A fourth shadow approached them.

One of the motionless shadows suddenly sprang up. "**What happened?"**

The fourth shadow shrugged. "**I don't know."**

The second stood up. "**So, what did he say?"**

"**Nothing."  
"What do you mean, nothing?!"** the first shadow argued.

"**He's angry."**

All shadows stiffened.

"…**And, do you know why?**" the second shadow asked.

The fourth shook its head. "**He kept grumbling about a stupid mistake."**

"**What does that even **_**mean?!**_**" **the first repeated.

"**I don't KNOW!"**

"**Aah, so noisy…"** a fifth shadow appeared.  
"**M-Master! We're sorry!" **the first, second and fourth shadow said.

"**Hush, hush…" **the last shadow whispered. "**I need you to do a job for me…"**

"**Yes, master."** The three shadows said in unison.

The fifth shadow talked a while, and then "**All clear? Now, go."**

"**Yes, master." **The three shadows left swiftly.

The fifth shadow, referred to as 'Master', glanced towards the shadow that was still sitting. "**You too, Antonio."**

The shadow named Antonio slowly stood up. It snapped his jaws shut, glaring at the other shadow. "_**Yes, ****master**_**." **And then left.

The 'master' simply chuckled to himself.

* * *

**yes, yes, it's a short chapter. i know! **

**anyway, until next chapter! and OMG THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS! *faints***

**and I am SO SORRY for doing that to antonio! really! please forgive me! *hides***

**_È adorabile! : _**_(italian) It's adorable!_


	16. Sunset

**holy flying rhynoceros with tiny purple wings and a rainbow trail drinking tea and triangle sandiwches while singing hakuna matata and doing the hula dance! **

**(P3ace9797 i blame YOU for this! XD)**

**this is a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOO...OOOONG chapter! 4000+ words!**

**i spent all day writing it ._." **

**i'm exhausted!**

**oh and 2700+ views! and 55 reviews! *flails arms around happily* THANK YOU!**

**..**

**anyway, i hope you ENJOY this new chapter!**

* * *

Mathias and Berwald went out again the next day. They had to find food, with the Rock family increasing in numbers, including the cat (named – very originally - _Gatto_ by Feliciano).

The day went on smoothly, until they returned.

The jeep's tires screeched as they stopped, as if they had run from something.

Both blondes hurriedly came in the cave. "Guys! _GUYS! _We have a situation!"

The people in the dining-cave looked up. "Ve, Mathias, what's wrong?"

Mathias was panting. "I…we… fuck! We saw a RED in the city!"

Everyone was suddenly alert. "Where?"

"Near the main street of the city!"

"Who was it?" Kiku asked.

"W' d'd n't know h'm." Berwald said. "It w'sn't L'kas… We w're j'st able t' 'scape…"

"Did he follow you?" Arthur asked.

"_Nay, _l'ck'ly… 't least th't's what we th'nk."  
"Well, spill it, damnit! What did he look like?!" Romano barged in.

Mathias took a deep breath and stopped panting. "H…he had a light blue armour…and the 'mask' only covered his eyes."

Arthur's eye twitched. "I think I know him."

Everyone turned to face him. He sighed. "Did he have medium-length blond hair?"

Mathias nodded.

The Brit sighed again. "He was my friend…well if you could call that French pain in the arse friend. Anyway, his name is…_was_ Francis."

Ludwig folded his arms, and asked in a very business-like tone: "Do you happen to know his abilities?"

Arthur nodded. "Speed. He's fast. And he can fly."

Tino looked at the ground. "Oh my…what if he followed you?" he asked again.  
Mathias shook his head. "I don't know! I don't think he saw us, but it was a narrow escape. Maybe he saw the jeep riding away, I don't know!" he repeated.

"_Merda_." Romano growled, also folding his arms.

"We have to be ready, if he shows up! Quick, make haste!" Kiku said, going to get his katana.

Everyone soon had their weapon. Feliciano his staff, Romano his sword, Ludwig his hammer, Kiku his katana, Berwald his broad two-handed sword, Mathias his double-edged axe, Tino his spear, Bella her axe, an Arthur his dagger. And everyone (except Feliciano) with at least one gun or rifle strapped at their hips or back.

They all stood awkwardly in the cave for some minutes. Gatto meowed, worried.

"What the fuck are we waiting here for?" Romano suddenly asked.

"We're waiting for the RED to come…I think." Tino said, unsure.

"Well why don't we fucking go outside then?!"

"It'd give us away immediately, you wanker." Arthur snapped.

"It'd be better than just sit here like complete morons!" Romano snapped back.

"Ve! Please don't argue!"

"Feliciano's right. Stop yelling or they'll find us anyway." Ludwig said.

Everyone shut up.

"B't still…wh't should we do?" Berwald asked, the grip on his sword tightening.

"Hm, we could wait here, and maybe we get busted, which would be our end, or not, and then we'd be all safe. We still don't know if it's even looking for us. OR we could get out, fight that thing, and then maybe we lose, and some people die, or not, but in both cases everyone else here would be safe." Mathias reasoned aloud.

Ludwig raised an eyebrow. "Mathias, did I just hear you make a reasoned thought?"

The Dane smirked.

"I think…" Kiku started. "I think a team should go outside and face the RED."

Everyone now turned to the Japanese. "Why?!" Tino asked, horrified.  
"Well, I think that…." Kiku tried to explain, however not finding the right words.

Arthur's face suddenly lit up. "Yes, why the bloody hell not?" he glanced at Feliciano (who didn't notice).

"Are you serious?!" Mathias asked, incredulous.

"Yes, actually I am. I think…I think we might be able to beat this guy. Don't ask me why, but I have an interesting theory. It could change _everything_. This would be the perfect chance to prove it!" Arthur said. "I volunteer to be in the team. And I need Feliciano."

"Wh-what?! Me?!" Feliciano almost squeaked, startled.

"Why him?" Ludwig asked, raising one eyebrow. "Why _you_?" he looked at the Englishman.  
"I said I had a theory, and I need him to prove it. And, truth to be told, I really want to kick that Frenchman's arse." Arthur said, nearing Feliciano.

"Guess I'll be coming too…" Ludwig sighed, nearing the two.

Arthur raised his eyebrows. "Huh? Why?"

Ludwig waved his hand. "I need to _do_ something. It's been a while since I went out." He glanced towards Feliciano. "And I kind of have a debt with Feliciano saving my life."

"You're not going anywhere with my brother and without _me_, eyebrows bastard! I'm coming too." Romano said, joining the three. He glared at Ludwig, who plainly ignored him.

"Well, I think that's enough people risking their lives tonight! Good luck! And don't die, _vær så venlig_!" Mathias smiled, putting his axe down.

"Hey, shut it, bastard! _Non gufare_!" Romano exclaimed, making an Italian gesture to avoid bad luck (closing the fist except the index and pinkie, pointing at the ground) .

"I…don't really think this is a good idea, Arthur." Tino murmured. "But…if you really are sure of this 'theory' of yours…"

Arthur nodded. "I am. Almost. I really want to prove if it's right. As I said earlier, it could change everything around here."

"Now I'm curious about what that theory actually is…" Kiku murmured, glancing at Arthur and then at Feliciano. The Brit nodded, both remembering the day Arthur had talked about Feliciano's supposed "asthma".

"_Lycka till._" Said Berwald, nodding a little.

Bella patted Romano on his shoulder. "_Veel geluk_." The Italian snorted "Speak normal, woman." but Bella just smiled.

The four of them left, and Feliciano shivered. Did Arthur really think he could cure the RED? Because he had guessed this was what it all was about… he really hoped that the Brit's theory was correct.

* * *

The four of them hopped in the jeep: Ludwig at the wheel, Arthur beside him, the two brothers in the back seats. They soon drove off and they were in the desert.

Feliciano observed the scenery. The landscape was beautiful. The sun shone brightly (it was four o' clock in the afternoon, so…) and the sky was clear, except some random fluffy white clouds. Feliciano only now noticed that the desert wasn't a sandy one, but a…what did you call it? It was all just dried earth, with some bushes here and there. The ground's colour was somewhere between brown and orange, and the jeep left a huge trail of dust as they rode.

Ludwig broke the silence that had formed in the car. "Arthur, would you mind explaining to us this theory of yours? There must have been a reason why you didn't tell it out loud in the cave before, I know, but I'd really like to know what I'm risking my life for right now."

"Yes, the potato bastard is right. I'd like to know too." Romano spat.

Ludwig blinked, astonished. "Potato…bastard?"

"You're German, of course I'd call you potato bastard, you moron."

Arthur swallowed. Then he turned his head a little to look at Feliciano, who only nodded in approval.

"Well, it's like this…" he informed them both about his 'anti-Nightmare' theory.

"What the fuck? That can't be real, you eyebrows bastard! Potato! Turn the damn car around and let's go back!" Romano exclaimed when the Brit had finished.

Ludwig did not budge. "Arthur…are you sure of this?" his knuckles turned white because he was gripping the wheel to tightly.

The Brit nodded. "I am not 100% sure, but…it's all we have. And think about it! It really could change everything."

Romano folded his arms when he saw the German didn't turn the car around. "Bullshit. I don't believe any of it."  
Feliciano jump-hugged his brother. "But Romanoooo! It's true! Look!" he took the bandages off his hand, and he showed the back of it, the part that was glowing.

Ludwig glanced back through the mirror. "_Unglaublich_…" he whispered.

Romano stared at it, a mix of horror and astonishment in his eyes. "The fuck?! So…?"

The Brit nodded, turning to face forward again. "Exactly. And don't tell me you didn't notice the Nightmare had _melted_…"

"I thought it was because of the desert sun…" Ludwig muttered.

"I thought that too, at first, but then I found Gatto stuck in it." Arthur explained very matter-of-factly.

Both Romano and Ludwig nodded, gravely, understanding. Feliciano bandaged his hand again.

"So, your plan basically is to go there, beat the crap out of this RED and then see if Feliciano actually succeeds in healing the bastard?" Romano asked.

The Brit nodded. "I know it isn't much of a plan, but it's the best I got. And because Mathias and Berwald spotted the git during daytime, he might probably still be there."  
Romano nodded.

"Ve! I see the city already!" Feliciano chirped. Everyone thought it to be strange he was so cheerful, but shrugged it off.

As they rode more slowly through the streets, Feliciano started remembering what it was actually like to face a Nightmare. Only now he remembered he had trembled when he had fought that Nightmare with Ludwig.

He shivered. What would happen to him if he faced a RED…?

His train of thoughts was interrupted by Ludwig halting the jeep. "Let's continue on foot, it otherwise gets too difficult to ride." The main road was indeed the largest, but as consequence beside it there had been built the largest buildings. Those, by falling, had covered the whole place in rubble and debris. Still some frames of the first floors of buildings had survived, but they were only the skeletons, shadows of what grand and tall buildings there were before. Feliciano shivered. The silence was…eerie.

Ludwig loaded his gun, as did Arthur. Romano grasped his sword, while Feliciano took a hold of his staff. He looked kind of ridiculous with that weapon, standing beside the others, but he didn't care.

"Now what do we do?" Ludwig asked.

"We search for that wanker." Arthur murmured, on guard.

They started walking on the main road, no sound except the one of their footsteps.

It became five o'clock, and the sun started his journey down to meet the horizon. They were all getting nervous…

Feliciano heard something. A leathery swish, nothing more. He frantically looked around, but did not see anything or anyone. _Guess it was my imagination…_

Arthur suddenly halted, making everyone stop. He tightened the grip on his gun.

"Up there." He growled. Feliciano saw a whole whirlpool of emotions in the Brit's eyes, but they were too fast for him to actually understand which emotions. So he looked up to where Arthur had said. And he saw him. The RED.

He was sitting on the debris on one of the surviving floors of a building as if it were a throne: slouched, legs crossed and head leaning on an arm.

"**Finally. I was starting to get tired of waiting"** he said, and Feliciano shivered. How could a human voice become so…distorted? He could just make out the RED's features. He had blond medium-length hair, and some stubble on the chin. The upper half of his face was covered by a skull-looking light blue mask, even if it was a bit asymmetric (the left part of the mask covered the cheek and had some pointed teeth, while the right part covered the forehead). The eyes were cast in shadow because of the mask, but even from that distance Feliciano could see the colour of his eyes. They practically _glowed_ a bright electric blue.

"**It's been some time …right…" **the thing sighed, standing up. "…**Arthur?" **It looked almost as if he had to make an effort to _remember_ the Brit's name.

Feliciano's eyes widened as he saw the RED's body. The left part of his body was completely covered in light blue armour, while the right part lacked it in some places, revealing the clothes under it.

Ludwig's and Romano's grip tightened on their respective weapons.

Arthur did not respond, he clenched his teeth instead.

"**Why so cold? Aren't you happy to see your friend? Come up here, and give me a hug, **_**no**_**?" **the RED spread his arms, as if welcoming the Brit.

"I will come up there, but only to kick your annoying arse, git!" Arthur exclaimed.

The RED sighed, dropping his arms. He then flipped his hair back. "**You disappoint me, Arthur…"**

The Englishman gritted his teeth more. He glanced sideways at Feliciano, and then to the RED again. "I don't care, Francis. Let's get this over with!" he trained his gun on the RED.

Francis smiled a sly smile. "**Would you actually shoot me? My, you have grown…!"**

"Shut up!" Ludwig barged in. "Don't listen to him." He murmured at the Brit.

Arthur nodded.

"**Oh, so you are serious. Hmmm, let's see… you brought two brothers, one of them with a ridiculous weapon, and a German bodyguard. I'd expected more from you, **_**mon cher**_**… Oh!" **he said, as if remembering something. He looked at Feliciano, who shivered when he saw those frightening eyes look at him. "…_**Bonjour**_** there, little Italian… I think I know **_**you**_**!"** Francis smiled, putting a clawed hand on his chin. Feliciano trembled even more and then gulped, taking a step back. _How does he know me...? Did I know him?_

Something suddenly appeared from behind the RED's back.

"Holy shit, the bastard has wings." Groaned Romano.

Indeed, Francis spread his two big wings. He grinned. "**Let's see you catch me, **_**oui**_**?"**

Suddenly a war cry came out of nowhere. Actually, it came from behind the RED. A man appeared, and struck the RED with a metal baseball bat.

"Take that, motherfucker!" the man yelled. The four men in the street were astounded.

"Who the hell is that?" Ludwig asked, voicing everyone's thoughts.

Francis managed barely to avoid the bat by turning around, but the man continued to try and hit him. The RED had to take a few steps back, and then he jumped off the destroyed building. "**My my, so you actually had a plan Arthur? I must say I'm impressed, even though it failed…"**

Arthur blinked, confused. Who the bloody hell was that man?!

Said man stood on the floor of the building, panting. "Fuck! I missed!" he complained. None of the four had ever seen him in their whole lives. He had dirty blond hair, and a single strand was standing up, as if defying gravity. He wore glasses and the strangest jacket Feliciano had ever seen. He held the metal baseball bat in his right hand, and he was panting.

Francis landed smoothly on the street, not so far away from the four, who braced themselves.

"**Oh, I remember you! What a nuisance." **he said, looking at the man with the bat. "**However…" **Francis smiled, turning to face the four. "**Let's begin"**

He charged forward, and Ludwig and Arthur started shooting at him. The RED moved at blinding fast speed, aided by his wings too, so they barely hit him. Only one shot got him, but it bounced off his armoured shoulder. "Aim to his right side!" Ludwig exclaimed.

"Ve!" Feliciano squeaked when the RED whooshed past them. Francis made a sharp turn aided by his wings, and then came back.

Romano lunged forward with his sword. "_Prendi questo, stronzo!_"

Francis stopped and started sparring with the Italian, sword clashing with claws. Ludwig tried to shoot him again, but the RED found a way to roundhouse-kick the gun out of his hands. "_Sheiße_!" Ludwig reached to his belt to get his hammer.

Francis then ducked to dodge Romano's sword, and his claws slashed the Italian's shirt open, leaving three red cuts on the stomach.

"Gh-ack!" the Italian lost grip of his sword.

"_Fratellone!_" Feliciano exclaimed, running to help his brother. But Francis kicked upwards to Romano's chin, and the Italian fell backwards.

"You wanker!" Arthur shouted, running forward and shooting at the RED. Francis not only avoided the bullets, but dodged Ludwig's hammer as well. He jumped in the air and dove with incredible speed towards Arthur, flexing his clawed hands. Arthur tossed away the gun and got out his dagger. Feliciano, at his brother's side, couldn't help but notice…was the blade _glowing_?  
Arthur described an arch with the dagger, attacking Francis. The RED was moving at an incredible speed, hovering in mid-air, but the Brit looked like he could keep the pace.

"**I see you got better with that magic mambo-jumbo you said you had"** Francis mocked, lashing out with a claw.

_Wait, what? _Feliciano thought. _Magic?_

Arthur deflected the blow and ducked. "You have NO idea!" he quickly whispered something, and a fireball appeared in his left hand.

"**What the…!"** the RED managed to say before Arthur threw it. Francis dodged swiftly, but the ball hit one of his wings. "_**Merde!**_**" **he shrieked, he landed some meters away from them, flapping the injured wing to put out the fire.

The man with the metal baseball bat suddenly barged in, armed with a rifle. "Take that, you monster!" and shot through the already injured blue wing.

Francis snarled (a sound that made Feliciano's neck hair stand up) and whirled around to slice the rifle in two. "Whoa!" The man said, letting the rifle go and ducking do avoid Francis' angered attacks.

"Don't forget about me, _Erlöst_!" Ludwig said, hitting his back with the sledgehammer. The armour protected Francis, but that didn't stop him from flying a few meters away because of the sheer force of the hit. He landed smoothly, though. He held the injured wing while glaring at them.

"**You pitiful humans, you have NO idea what you're dealing with!" **he snarled, straightening up.

Suddenly two Nightmares came out from under the rubble, growling, as if the RED had called them. Their weak spots weren't green(one was purple and the other orange), so they weren't 'newbies'.  
"Oh shit!" Romano exclaimed, back on his feet and startling Feliciano. Romano, Ludwig and the new mystery man engaged the Nightmares, while Arthur started attacking Francis again. Feliciano did not know what to do.  
He frantically looked back and forth, wondering what he should do, and whether he would be of any help or just be in their way.

One of the Nightmares saw him, and ignored Ludwig who was currently fighting it. It charged towards him, and Feliciano squeaked, afraid. "VEEE!" "Feliciano!" The Italian pointed the staff at it and closed his eyes, and by pure chance the Nightmare ran right into it, impaling its own eye.

The Nightmare shrieked, wounded, and backed away. Feliciano now dared to open his eyes. "Ve..?"

"Feliciano!" Romano was immediately at his side, taking advantage of the momentarily blinded Nightmare. He slashed at another weak point, making an arch of glowing purple blood. The Nightmare roared in pain, staggered and then fell on its side.

"_G-grazie, fratellone…_" Feliciano panted, still shaken. Romano huffed and put his hand on his stomach, which was bleeding a little. "Ve! Romano! You shouldn't fight!"

"Shut it, moron…" Romano said, glaring at his brother.  
"Hey! Some help here!" Ludwig said, avoiding barely the second Nightmare's jaws.

"Yeah that would be appreciated! A lot!" the man with the bat said, hitting the monster's head. Romano ran to assist the two men, while Feliciano's attention was taken because he heard Arthur yelp.

He turned his head and saw Francis holding the Brit's neck, Arthur's feet dangling in the air. The RED was smiling wickedly. "**You can't mutter your incantations like this, **_**oui**_**? It is much better, I must say…"** Arthur was trying to pry the claws away from his throat, but with no avail. He choked.

"Arthur!" Feliciano exclaimed, running to the RED.

"**Huh…? Oh, it's you."** Francis said, nonchalantly. He blocked the Italian's staff with one hand, and then snatched it away from his hands. Feliciano could only watch as his 'weapon' fell some meters away.  
"_A_…" Arthur choked, his eyes closed.

"**Oh, still conscious? I'm surprised!" **he turned to Arthur again, an amused smile on his face.

"…_Arde!_" the Brit said snapping his eyes open, and suddenly fire appeared on the RED's face. Francis screamed in surprise and let go of the Brit's neck, who fell on the ground coughing.

Feliciano was immediately at his side, while Arthur panted, holding his throat. "_O…_"he coughed, "_Omnem corporem eius arde!_"

Francis' whole body caught fire, while he was screaming.

The incantation required too much energy to hold, though, and Arthur was already weak. The flames soon died, leaving a scorched and very, _very_ pissed off RED.

"A-Arthur…?" Feliciano asked, petrified under the RED's gaze. Arthur was on his knees, his eyes blank, and looked as if he were moments from spacing out.

"**That took the last ounce of energy you had, didn't it, **_**batard?" **_Francis growled enraged, his electric blue eyes glowing menacingly.

Feliciano saw his staff nearby, and lunged towards it. He grabbed it, and stood trembling in front of the kneeling Brit.

"D-don't come any closer!" he said, stuttering.

Francis laughed. "**Or what?" **he asked, with a little glee in his voice. He came closer, and snatched the Italian's staff out of his hands. Again. Feliciano yelped. Francis stepped closer.

"Feliciano!" Ludwig shouted, still fighting the other Nightmare.

"_Cazzo!_" swore Romano.

Feliciano looked at the RED in front of him, who was smirking, already enjoying his victory. And he did the only thing he could think of. He punched him in the face with his left hand.

That, Francis did definitely _not_ expect. It did little to no effect to him, but his eyes widened, stunned at the stupidity and despair of the action. Then he laughed.

"**Hahahaha! …Ah,**_** je suis désolé**_**, but was that supposed to hurt me?" **he moved his hand to his eyes as if he were drying a tear.

Feliciano panted, tears forming in his eyes. _What do I do? What do I do?! That hardly did anything!_ He punched again, aiming for the chest this time. Francis just stood there laughing, letting the Italian do that. He took every punch without really feeling them.

Then he felt one. Hard. He staggered a little.

"**Gah! What...?" **

Feliciano's eyes widened, staring at his right hand. He had thrown a punch with it and it had actually hurt the RED! He smiled, confidence returning. He punched Francis again with his right hand. And again it hurt him.

"**What the hell?! **_**Fils de pute!**_**" **he felt every punch draining his strength. How was that even _possible_?! He cursed himself for underestimating the man. Then he staggered again, getting weaker and weaker with every punch Feliciano threw. He noticed the Italian's right hand was glowing under the bandages. Francis lashed one last time with his claws. "_**Batard**_**!" **

Feliciano only barely managed to avoid the RED's claws. He yelped as he jumped, but then punched Francis again, a warm feeling seeping in his hand. This seemed to be the last one needed. The armour cracked, a strange black liquid oozing out.

The RED staggered on his feet and stepped back, holding his cracked chest. "**I…**_**I**_**…"** he looked at the setting sun, and couldn't finish the sentence. He breathed out, and closed his eyes. Then he fell backwards, arms spread.

Feliciano stood there, incredulous. Had he actually won? He smiled. "Ve…!" But suddenly he felt very, very tired. Exhausted. And he fell too, his eyes closing and losing consciousness.

* * *

_**i suck at writing battle scenes. but i hope you liked it anyway!**_

_**hehehehee, two new characters! Francis and... mystery man! XD (who is REALLY easy to guess, dangit)**_

_**i'll see you this friday for the next chapter!**_

_**ciao! ^^**_

_**whoa, a lot of swearing in this chapter. sorry about that! ._."**_

_**Gatto : **__(italian) Cat_

_**Nay : **__(swedish) no_

_**Merda : **__(italian) shit_

_**Vær så venlig! : **__(danish) good luck!_

_**Non gufare! : **__(italian) don't bring bad luck!_

_**Lycka till : **__(swedish) good luck_

_**Veel geluk : **__(dutch) good luck_

_**Unglaublich... : **__(german) unbelievable..._

_**Prendi questo, stronzo! : **__(italian) take that, you piece of shit!_

_**Sheiße! : **__(german) shit!_

_**Erlöst : **__(german) Redeemed_

_**Merde! :**_ _(french) shit!_

_**Arde! : **__(latin) burn!_

_**Omnem corporem eius arde! : **__(latin) burn his whole body!_

_**Batard :**_ _(french) bastard_

_**Cazzo! : **__(italian) shit!_

_**Je suis désolé : **__(french) i'm sorry_

_**Fils de pute :**_ _(french) son of a bitch_


	17. Frog

**!**

**holy. flying. cows.**

**3300 views?! are you kidding me?! and 66 reviews?! *gasps***

**THANK YOU ALL! Oh my god!**

**anyway i'm glad you liked the previous chapter! ^^ (and yes, the cat is named 'cat', very original, no?)**

**oh and i made two other drawings too! (i'm not getting obsessed with this story now, am i? nooooooooooooo) **

**here they are on deviantart if you are interested! the first one is francis in the previous chapter, while in the second there are the REDs in general :3**

**/art/Nightmare-Apocalypse-Hetalia-France-361850141**

**/art/Nightmare-Apocalypse-Hetalia-REDs-361849372**

**..**

**i hope this chapter isn't that confusing...**

**anyway!**

**ENJOY**

* * *

Ludwig carried the unconscious Italian to the back seats of the jeep, while the man with the bat and Romano followed him. The man was carrying not only a knocked-out Arthur, but the unconscious RED too. Romano had tried to patch his stomach wound up the best he could, but Ludwig could see the blood already seeping through. They had to hurry, not only because of his wound, but also because of the sun setting, fast.

He sighed when he laid down Feliciano in the car, and stepped aside so the man could to the same with Arthur and Francis.

"Who ze hell are you, anyway?" asked Ludwig, not bothering to be polite.

The man huffed after letting slide down the RED from his shoulder and after putting him in the car. He wiped the sweat off his forehead, and then gave Ludwig his hand. "I'm the hero, Alfred F. Jones! Pleased to meet'cha!"

Ludwig took the hand, on his guard. You never knew. "Ludwig Beilschmidt. What are you doing here?"  
Alfred looked astonished for a moment, but composed himself quickly. "I was hunting that bastard the whole day. Nevermind that. Now I'm gonna ask _you_ something…" his eyes narrowed behind his glasses, "…why do you want to carry _him _away with the others?! Isn't he a RED? Shouldn't you kill him already?"

Ludwig tensed. "_Ja, _actually I should. But I'm not going to."  
"Why?"

Ludwig glanced towards the unconscious Feliciano. His right hand was glowing under the bandages, and the light pulsed a little. "Because maybe he was saved."

* * *

_Warm. He was feeling warm. It was a comfortable feeling._

_Like when you wake up and you snuggle in your covers._

_Hmm…it was getting too warm._

_Why was he so warm?_

_Hot._

_Hot._

_Hot. Hot._

_Was someone cooking him?! That was what he felt like._

_Hot. Too hot._

_Hothothothothothot. Hot!_

_Burn._

_He was burning now._

_Correction, his hand was burning. So hot…_

_What was going on?!_

_The hand burned as if he had put it directly in the furnaces of hell._

_The warmth spread up his arm like molten lead, and reached his chest._

_Great, now he couldn't breathe._

_He was burning…_

* * *

"Hey!"

"What is it?"

"Feliciano stopped breathing!"

"Vhat?!"

"Quick dude, make him breathe somehow!"  
"I don't know how, damnit!"

"Like, you don't know the mouth-to-mouth thing?"  
"I-I know that! Feliciano! Breathe!"

* * *

_Did someone knock somewhere?_

_It sure sounded like it…  
There it was again. He needed to answer, whoever it was!_

_Oh, it was gone now._

_But he still was burning. His heart was on fire. And still he couldn't breathe._

_Someone suddenly opened a window. Was that even a window? He heard air whoosh, and some coolness. Oh! He could breathe again. _

_He cooled down a little. _

_But it still was too hot. _

_He got some feeling back, beside the burning, but it wasn't pleasant. His heart ached with every pulse, and so did his hand._

_What was going on…?_

* * *

"He's breathing again!"

"_Gott sei Dank_…"

"Dude watch out for that bump!"

"_Sheiße_!"

"Ouch! Potato bastard, watch where you're driving!"

"The sun is setting, it's getting difficult to see!"

"How is he?"  
"He's feverish. Fuck. What happened?!"

"I don't know. I think he managed to cure the RED, but maybe it took a toll on him…"  
"You're shitting me, right?"

* * *

_Was he floating now? He felt less hot, but it was still too warm. His hand didn't hurt anymore, but his heart still did. _

_He stopped floating. But he stopped breathing too, again. And again someone opened the unseen window, and he breathed once more._

_He heard a clap of thunder somewhere._

_Wait, was it someone's voice?_

_The thunder clap became rain pour._

_Many voices._

_The warmth did not give any sign of leaving him. His heart throbbed most painfully, as if it was pumping scorching lead instead of blood._

_He was moved a little._

_Hey, what happened? _

_An earthquake? What…?_

* * *

"Feliciano! Wake up!" Mathias shook the small Italian's shoulders. His eyes didn't open.

"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?!" Ludwig pulled the Dane away from Feliciano.

"What does it look like?! I'm waking him up! And what happened to his hand?!"

"The potato bastard is right this time, moron. Feliciano needs his rest." Romano growled, appearing beside the German and standing between the Dane and Feliciano.

Feliciano was currently lying on one of the couches in the dining cave. He had stopped breathing two times, and was feverish. His right hand was glowing brightly under the bandages, and it appeared to be pulsing.  
Arthur had been set down on a sofa, and Francis on the low wooden table. The latter had been tied down with some leather belts, though. Ludwig had a hard time trying to explain all of it to the almost-panicking Rock inhabitants.

However, once Mathias had been restrained by Berwald's headlock, he could talk freely. He told them about Arthur's theory, of Feliciano's hand, their battle with Francis, about Alfred joining them and about Feliciano passing out and having a tough time now.

"Hey, Arthur's regaining consciousness!" Tino noticed, as he was the nearest to the Brit.

"Hnnnng. Oh bloody hell, my head…" Arthur complained. He brought a hand to his forehead, and then blinked. "Francis-!" he suddenly stood up, but black spots danced in front of his vision, and he collapsed on the sofa again.

"Arthur-san! Are you alright?" Kiku asked, suddenly appearing beside the Englishman.

The Brit groaned. "Kiku…? Does this mean I'm at the Rock?"

"Yes, you are!" Tino said.

Arthur groaned again and glanced around. First he saw Feliciano feverish on the couch, and then Francis, strapped to the table. "Wait, what happened?"

Ludwig shook his head. "That's what we're trying to find out. I'm no medic, you're the only one here. Feliciano lost consciousness after fighting the RED and stopped breathing twice. The RED…I don't know about him."

Arthur stood up, and noticed a new face. "And who might you be?"

"Yo, I'm Alfred F. Jones, pleased to meet'cha!" the American said loudly.

Arthur groaned yet again, the booming voice was like a knife to his head. Great, a dumb, loud American was just what they needed, after a dumb, loud and obnoxious Dane.

He rubbed his eyes to get the black spots away from his vision. He ought to check on Feliciano first. The French arsehole could wait…even if his theory had worked.

Ludwig told him how Feliciano had fought on when he had fallen unconscious, and how he had punched the RED.

He neared the Italian on the couch, everyone closely watching him. They were all worried. Arthur unwrapped the bandages to look at his hand. Because, if they had won, the hand would have something to do with that, right? Everyone gasped when he finished unwrapping it. The thing on the back of Feliciano's hand had grown even more, and was pulsating in a white bright light.

"Hmm."

He touched the Italian's head, and found it beaded with sweat. "Could someone get him a wet cloth? He's burning hot." Bella ran off to get one.

He checked Feliciano's pulse. It was irregular, and his breathing was erratic. Something was affecting him from the inside. _Could it be the thing on the hand?_ He pondered for a moment. _No, even his fingers are twitching. It isn't the thing on the hand's fault. But what then?_

He observed the hand closer. The knuckles were bruised, Arthur assumed, because he had hit Francis.

Wait.

Bruised. RED. He looked even more closer, and saw a tiny black smear between Feliciano's fingers. It resembled Nightmare goo.

He suddenly got up and started observing Francis. Arthur immediately noticed the crack in the middle of the RED's chest. Presumably where Feliciano had hit him. He looked closer, and saw another small smear of black substance between the cracks.

"Oh bugger, I think I know why Feliciano is like this." Arthur concluded.

"What is it?! Spill it, bastard!" Romano spat.

Arthur ignored the Italian as he continued inspecting Francis. The chest armour had cracked, he was scorched in many places on his whole body and his left wing was in a bad shape. He couldn't help but notice that it looked as if the armour was becoming brittle. The leather wings were almost withering, turning into fragile paper-like leaves.

"Well?!" Romano repeated.

Arthur didn't look up from the Frenchman's pale face. "I think Feliciano absorbed Francis' RED infection through his hand. Now he is trying to work it out of his system as if it were a poison. We can only wait."

Bella returned with the towel and put it on Feliciano's head. His eyes moved under the eyelids, but otherwise he did not move.

Ludwig stared at the Brit, incredulous. "Are you sure?"

Arthur straightened his back up. "Look at him. The RED appearance is slowly crumbling and withering. My conclusion is he's… actually healing. And Feliciano's having arrhythmia, as well as respiratory problems. That can only be if a poison is messing with his blood system, who in turn messes the lungs up. I think said poison is the RED infection."

Romano gulped. "He will survive, right?"

Arthur shrugged. "That, sadly, I'm not able to know."

* * *

_It was fresh. Something fresh. _

_Aaah, it was a heavenly feeling._

_It helped him forget about the fire in his heart and hand. A little._

_So hot…_

* * *

…_Meanwhile, somewhere else…_

"**Where is Francis?" **the voice said softly, but with a distinct threat hidden behind it.

None of the three shadows answered.

"**I'll say it nicely one more time… Where. Is. Francis."**

The shadows shivered. "**W…we don't know…"** one of the shadows said.

"**What do you MEAN, you don't KNOW?" **the first shadow, the 'master', roared.

"**He went to check the western area alone, like we did ourselves with the other areas! But he didn't come back!" **the shadow tried to explain. Said shadow got hit hard by the 'master'.

"**Well, he didn't die. I would have noticed that. Stupid mistake…"** the voice started muttering.

A third shadow spoke, while the fourth went to help the fallen one. "**We could go and look for him."**

"**NO. Not for Francis. You must continue your previous mission. And since Francis was eliminated by doing that…" **the voice continued reasoning "**You will narrow your search to the western area. The one I'm looking for will most likely be there. And he will probably be the reason of Francis' disappearance…" **he turned towards the three shadows again.

"**Do not let me down, understood?"**

"**Yes, master."**

Two shadows left, and again one stayed behind, glaring at the 'master'.

'Master' chuckled. "**Ooh, you don't have to glare at me like that, Antonio... You can hate me, but it's all your own fault, after all."**

The shadow named Antonio growled angrily.

The 'master''s eyes narrowed. "**Now follow your comrades, before I change my mind and make a necklace with those pretty teeth of yours, да?"**

The shadow left swiftly, leaving the 'master' alone.

* * *

_... Unknown place..._

He stood in darkness.

What was he actually standing on? He couldn't see. It was completely dark. Was he even standing? Or was he floating…?

Where was he?

…

_Who_ was he?

Something moved in front of him. A hand appeared out of nowhere.

He wondered how he could even see that hand. It was as pitch-black as the background. And was it…clawed?

A set of eyes appeared. Violet eyes. They were welcoming him.

"**Come with me…" **a voice said.

He felt like he was under a spell. Something didn't feel right. But he took the hand nonetheless, his pale hand contrasting with the black. He suddenly felt very heavy, and his back itched.

Another hand appeared. It had a normal skin colour, and it slapped the black hand away from his.

"Don't do that!"

What…?

Another set of eyes appeared. Emerald green eyes. The normal hand stretched out to him. "Don't do that." the voice repeated.

Something felt familiar about those eyes. And were those…eyebrows? They looked more like caterpillars, they were huge.

The two sets of eyes stared at him, both with hands outstretched. To the left was the black hand, to the right the normal one.

They both called to him.

"…**Francis…" **"…Francis…!"

Oh, so that was his name.

The violet eyes were slowly filling with anger.

He didn't like that.

He looked at the green eyes. Those were filled with worry.

It felt more right to take the normal hand. He was about to grab it… But _his_ hand wasn't normal anymore. It was… clawed. Like the black hand. But of another colour…

He hesitated.

Should he take the normal hand the green eyes were offering him?

Wouldn't he hurt the hand?

He wasn't normal anymore…

…Or had he always been like that?

He couldn't remember.

While he was thinking, the normal hand got impatient and grabbed his.

Suddenly in his mind there was a flood of memories.

His parents. His friends. School. High school. His friends again. The disaster. The Nightmares… The deal. Him…doing horrible things. Him fighting one of his old friends. Him being punched by somebody. A sunset…

His chest hurt a little, but it immediately vanished. He felt lighter, somehow.

He looked down at the holding hands. His hand had become normal again.

He glanced up at the green eyes. They were happy.

"…Wake up, you arsehole!"

Wait, he recognized that voice, now.

"Arthur, you _branleur_…" he found his voice again.

The violet eyes had not disappeared, however. They were _very_ angry. And the owner of that black hand and those eyes howled in rage.

Francis got scared, and he finally woke up.

* * *

_...Back at the Rock..._

Something was happening to Francis, everyone noticed that.

The Frenchman's pale face was serene, but he was sweating. Suddenly a crack appeared on the light blue mask, exactly in the middle.

Everyone was holding their breaths.

The wings withered even more, shrinking and wilting, and then they became dust.

"He's…he's…!" Mathias gasped, astounded.

Arthur finished the sentence for him. "He really has been…_cured_." He watched the scene wide-eyed, not believing himself what was happening.

Ever since Francis had sealed that wretched deal, Arthur had thought his friend would never, ever recover. Even better, he had convinced himself that what once was his friend had _died _that day. That thing walking around with Francis' face was not his friend.

But now new hope bloomed in his chest, awakened by that incredible sight. His friend was healing and recovering right in front of his eyes.

Of course Arthur wasn't the only one to think that. Everyone in that room who had lost someone, because of him becoming a Nightmare or a RED, was regaining hope, watching in awe.

The crack on the mask spread, as did the one on the Frenchman's chest. The whole armour soon was covered in cracks, becoming brittle, and started crumbling slowly into pieces, becoming light blue dust and then disappearing.

The mask was the last one to crumble, but even that became dust after some minutes.

All that was left on that table was Francis.

Not the RED.

Francis.

Arthur did not know what to say. What to do. Hell, he did not know what to think! He was simply overjoyed. His friend had come back from the dead! Well, technically not dead, but you know what I mean.

"Dude are you crying?" Alfred shattered the atmosphere.

"Bugger off!" he snapped at the American, trying to fight back the tears of joy. The Frenchman's chest was rising and falling regularly, but now the face was contorted in a small frown.

"What's going on?" Bella asked.

"I…I don't know." Arthur said sincerely.

Ludwig came nearer. "Shouldn't we try and wake him up?"

"Maybe it's not a good idea…" Tino murmured, still marvelling at the fact that the RED had been cured.

Francis frowned even more, not only furrowing his eyebrows but contorting his mouth too. Almost as he was having a bad dream…

"Oh bugger! I'm going to wake him. Francis…!" he shook the Frenchman's shoulder calling out to him, but gained no reaction. He started shaking him a little more. "Wake up, you big French frogface!"

Francis grimaced, but did not wake.

Arthur raised an eyebrow. He sighed. "Oh well." He slapped him across the cheek. Once, twice. Thrice. Still no reaction.

"Wake up, you arsehole!"  
The Frenchman's lips parted, an mumbled something. "…_Branleur…_"

Arthur's eyes lit up. "Francis! You big fucking wanker! Wake up or I'll break your wine collection again!"

Francis' eyes suddenly shot open, and he took a sharp breath, as if he had stayed underwater for too long. He started coughing, and tried to sit up, but the leather straps prevented him from doing that.

"…_Quoi?!_" he managed to say, before going into another cough fit.

There was a moment of silence in the room, but then it was filled with cheers.

"He really is cured! _Hurraa_!" Tino clapped his hands and hugged Berwald, who was actually smiling (and not twitching the corners of his mouth, for once).

Mathias cheered by punching the air, joined by a certain American. "Wohooo!"

Bella excitedly cheered, trying to get Romano to cheer too by taking his hands and improvising a small dance. Romano only smiled, but agreed to make that silly dance.

Kiku smiled too, and patted Ludwig on the back. Ludwig was staring first at Francis and then at Feliciano, an astounded look on his face.

Arthur was furiously trying to wipe the tears from his eyes with his sleeve, but with no avail. His vision blurred, he tried to untie the leather straps on the Frenchman's torso.

Francis continued to cough, and once his chest was freed, he sat up.

_So much noise…where am I? _he thought.

A hand was patting on his back. "Get over it, frog."

He finally stopped coughing, and looked up at the person beside him. "…Arthur?"

Arthur smiled. "You had us all worried, you git."

Francis frowned. "Did you threaten my wine collection again?"  
The Brit glanced elsewhere. "Maybe…"  
The Frenchman looked around. "…Where am I? Who are all these people?"

"You're in a safe place. These are all friends, you don't have to worry." Arthur explained, his smile getting larger.

"They're making too much noise…" Francis winced.

"OI! Quiet down, will ya?" Arthur exclaimed to everyone in the room. The all stopped cheering/dancing and quickly came beside the table. They unstrapped the man from the belts, so he could move freely.

"How do you feel?" the Brit asked.

Francis frowned. "My head feels like a soccer ball in the middle of a world cup finale. But for the rest…peachy."

"Are you sure? It looked as if you were having a nightmare…" Arthur asked.

The Frenchman shook slowly his head. "_Non_, I was just having…a bad…dream…" he talked more slowly as he started remembering the dream. And all that had happened before too. His eyes widened, horrified, as the memories flashed before his eyes.

"Francis? Are you alright?"

Francis ignored his friend and stared down at his hands, blinking. They were back to normal. He closed them, and then reopened them. No, no clicking sound. No claws.

He had returned normal.

He was normal again.

He was normal again…!

"I'm normal again!" he exclaimed, smiling. "_Je suis de noveau normal!_" he stretched his arms out and flexed his fingers before his eyes. Tears began pooling in his wide sky-blue eyes, and he started laughing. No claws! No clicking sounds!

"Ha…haha… hahahahahaha! Oh, _joie!_" He then started touching his face, and did not feel any mask covering it. "I-I'm normal…!" he started crying, still smiling. He touched his back. No wings! He laughed again.

Then he brought both hands to his face, and started sobbing, bowing his head. "…N-normal…"

Arthur frowned, not expecting that reaction. He patted Francis on his back. "Hey, pull yourself together. It's alright." He murmured.

Francis' shoulders were shaking. "No…! It's not alright…!" He managed to say between the sobs. "What have I done…I…I…!" he looked up from his hands, tears streaming down his cheeks. "_Je suis si désolé, _Arthur!"

The Brit smiled softly. "It's alright. Really. Now you're back. And act like it, frog."

Francis sniffled, and started crying again, smiling a bit. "You haven't changed a bit, _sourcils_…"

Arthur's eyes widened in surprise.

The Frenchman chuckled. "I bet your cooking hasn't improved either…_oui?_"

Mathias laughed. "_Nej_! He's as bad as ever!"

The Englishman glared at the Dane, and poked Francis weakly in his side. "Frog. I'm glad you're back."

* * *

_Again, many voices. They were cheering._

_What had happened?_

_He heard laughing, and then crying._

_Had someone been hurt?_

_No, everyone was laughing again._

_He was glad…_

…_but he still was too hot._

_Hopefully he would cool down soon enough, he was kind of getting tired of the heat._

_Hot…_

* * *

**I hope this chapter wasn't too confusing! it had a lot of jumps _ **

**but i really enjoyed writing it!**

**d'aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw, francis! :'3**

**i will be going away for a few days, so i wont be able to upload, sadly enough.**

**but as always, i will on friday!**

**until next chapter! ciao ciao!**

**_Gott sei Dank :_** _(german) thank God_

**_Sheiße : _**_(german) shit_

_**да? : **(russian) yes?_

**_Branleur : _**_(french) wanker_

**_...Quoi?! : _**_(french) ...what?!_

**_Hurraa! : _**_(finnish) hooray!_

**_Je suis de noveau normal! : _**_(french) I'm normal again!_

**_Joie! : _**_(french) joy!_

**_Je suis si désolé : _**_(french) i'm so sorry!_

**_Sourcils : _**_(french) eyebrows_

**_Nej :_** _(danish) no_


	18. Poison

**Guess who's baaaaaaaaack?!**

**here's the new chapter!  
O_O**

**4000... we reached 4000 motherf***ing views?! *dances around the room***

**and 77 reviews! yaaay! *dances even more*  
i LOVE you all! (i'll soon reply as soon as i can to the last reviews, sorry for the delay ;_; but i'm pretty busy at the moment!)**

**anywayyyy! i hope you'll like this chapter!**

**...  
ENJOOOOOY**

* * *

After all the commotion, Arthur found his hands full.

First he had to patch Romano and Ludwig (and himself too) up. Luckily no one had been infected by the Nightmares, and all the injuries had been caused by falls or stones. After that, he had to check Alfred too. He also made sure Feliciano was settled in his room, with someone constantly keeping an eye on him.

When he was done with the American (who hadn't stopped blabbering for one second) he sat on his chair sighing. He was exhausted. Then he heard a soft voice "May I?"

Arthur sighed. "Come on in, frog."

The Frenchman came inside his medical room, uncertain. He glanced around, and whistled. "Wow. You upgraded."

The Brit smiled a little and stood up. "Maybe." He moved a hand towards the table. "Just sit there, ok?"

Francis nodded, and sat down, shifting, a little uncomfortable. "Everyone is so nice here. I already met everyone, they all seem so friendly..."

"Hm."

And silence fell.

They were_both_ uncomfortable. They both had many things to say, to explain... Francis however was really worried. How could he explain all those things? He didn't know himself why he had done the half of them.

Minutes passed in silence, neither of them wanting to begin. Arthur started checking his back. The wings had torn and ripped open the shirt he had been wearing, but there was further no evidence of the event. As if it had never even happened. The Frenchman's back was smooth, except the burn marks. But those were his spell's fault.

He took a small pot of lotion for burns. He could choose between three in his stock, and chose the one he knew stung the most.

Francis hissed as the cream was smeared on the burns. "_Merde...!_"

Arthur chuckled. "It stings, doesn't it?"

"I bet you did that on purpose."

The Brit smiled. "Maybe."

Silence fell again, but Francis broke it abruptly when Arthur started examining his shoulders. He grabbed the Brit's hand, and looked him deep in the eyes. "Arthur, there are no words that can express how sorry I am."

Arthur stopped, narrowing his eyes. "You'd better find them. I'd like to hear some explanations." He freed his hand from the Frenchman's grasp, and continued with the cream.

Francis sighed. "I...I don't know, Arthur... I really don't-"  
"Don't you 'I don't know' me!" Arthur exclaimed, stepping back. His gaze hardened. "The hell, Francis?! You make that wretched deal, and after more than a year, you try to kill me and all you have to say is 'I don't know'?! You'd better give me a_hell_ of an explanation!"

Francis' eyes widened, his gaze falling on the faint bluish strangling marks on the Brit's neck. "What should I tell you?! Half of the time I wasn't even conscious...! I..." he buried his face in his hands.

Arthur's gaze softened. He sat beside his friend and put a hand on his back. "Just...tell me what happened. Ok?"

The Frenchman nodded, lifting his head again. He took a deep breath.

"Well..." he paused, uncertain. "...You remember when the Nightmares attacked the city we were in, more than a year ago?"

Arthur nodded. "I do remember. They attacked us from all sides, and they made every building crumble. We barely managed to survive the chaos."

"_Oui._Well, when we were running away, I saw this _thing_ through the plumes of smoke. You didn't see it, probably, and you ran ahead, thinking I was still following you. But that thing..." Francis shuddered. "It was a Sentient Nightmare. And it looked at...no, it looked_in_ me. I was like under a spell. It was messing with my thoughts. I couldn't think straight anymore. His eyes were...hypnotizing, to say the least. And he kept talking to me. He...showed me things. I do not know how, but images flashed in my mind...the city we were in, completely destroyed and crawling with Nightmares. People dying, getting eaten or infected by them. And then me and you, dying by the Sentient Nightmare's horrible hands. He offered me to join him, and in exchange he would spare your life." Francis paused again, looking sideways to the Brit. Seeing he wasn't going to talk, he continued.

"As I said, I couldn't think straight. The thing was somehow messing with my mind, my thoughts... twisting them, bending them. I... I accepted his offer, as you know. I saw you, for an instant. You were watching, and I saw the horror in your eyes. In that moment I instantly regretted my choice, but it was too late. The Nightmare hit me in the chest and well... you know what happened."

The Brit gulped. He remembered it all too well. The Frenchman accepting the Nightmare's outstretched hand, and getting hit square in the chest by the other one. The sound of ripping cloth, cracking bone... The sickening rip of flesh as from Francis' back sprouted wings... And his scream, becoming distorted. But what was actually new to him was the fact of the Sentient Nightmare confusing his victim's thoughts. He immediately felt less angry at the Frenchman.

"What happened then...?" Arthur asked.

Francis closed his eyes. "Well, you ran for it. That I remember well. But after that, I joined the Nightmare's...'company'. I was the second RED the Nightmare had created, but after that two others joined. We were the Nightmare's...how could you call it? We were his minions, but to us he could talk, we were his... 'friends'. It's almost as if all what he desired for was having someone to talk to. And besides that, we did his dirty work. He's never got out of his hiding place for one year, as you know, like the other Sentient Nightmares. Us four REDs were the ones he sent when he needed something checked or done."

The Frenchman opened his eyes again. How could he describe how he had felt that whole year? "I do not know how to describe the feeling... It was...I felt wonderful. I felt so powerful, and I could fly... I felt like the whole world was at my fingertips... But that deal sealed most of my memories away. I didn't remember anything of my past life, except my name, and some names of places or faces. I remembered your face, for example," he paused, smiling bitter sweetly, "...well, how could I forget those enormous eyebrows of yours...!"

Arthur smiled a half-hearted smile, not really amused, ad poked Francis weakly in the side. "Don't get distracted, frog. Continue."

"Well, anyway, I did not remember your name. I remembered it by pure chance, yesterday. I knew we were friends once, but... I somehow didn't care anymore. I just saw you all as... humans. Weak, pathetic humans. You all deserved to die... to be eaten by Nightmares, and killed by me. That's what I was thinking. But...it wasn't really me! I just... I don't know how to explain. It was as if the real me, with all my memories, was underwater for all this time. And I did some...horrible things." Francis shuddered. "I...I killed so many people...with my bare hands... and I enjoyed it." he stared horrified at his hands. "...I can still hear their screams."

Arthur hugged the Frenchman with one arm, not really knowing what to say. _What_could he say, anyway?! "Don't...don't think about it. It's in the past. And...you said it yourself, right? It wasn't really you."

Francis nodded, but wasn't really convinced. When the Brit tried to talk again, he stopped him. "_Don't_, Arthur. Just don't. I don't want to hear any of it."

The Brit closed his mouth, understanding. Francis took a deep breath. He needed to tell him everything. He didn't want to think about what he had done. He tried concentrating on other things. "The..." he gulped. "...the other REDs were tricked in similar ways, for all I know. We were four. Me, Lukas, Gilbert and Antonio. We were all pretty similar. I mean, in thoughts and all. Not remembering much, not giving a damn about it, and so on. Gilbert kept boasting about his abilities and about how awesome he was. Lukas kept shifting from moments of intense activity to ones of deep slumber. Only Antonio was different."

Arthur listened carefully. He knew about Lukas and Gilbert, but not about this Antonio.

"He... I think he was probably tricked like we all were, but Antonio had something more. He was chosen by the Nightmare because of his...how do you call it? _Avaritia_, or Greed. The side effect of it was that not only he got greedier, desiring more and more money, gold, and..." He shuddered, "...human flesh, but...he managed to maintain all of his memories intact. We, the other REDs, considered this a weakness. And to him, it really was. He was always in conflict with himself, not accepting his 'new' nature, because of the memories of his old one. His moods were continuously swinging, going from rage to self -pity."

Arthur raised his eyebrows. "Oh."

"Usually he would get angry really quick, and set on fire the nearest thing to him. You did _not_ want to be that nearest thing to him in those moments."

"But..." Arthur asked, "...why did he...why did_you_ obey the Sentient Nightmare's orders? Couldn't you just resist, or escape?"

Francis laughed a humourless laugh. "We couldn't. We had to obey his every order. Like I said, he was able to confuse our minds before, and he managed to twist our thoughts so we would obey him without resisting or even questioning anything. Again, only Antonio seemed capable of staying lucid enough to growl and glare at him. But even so, he had to obey. We mocked him for that, but now it dawns on me... he was the only smart one there."

Arthur frowned. "'There'? And where exactly is that?"

Francis shook his head. "It's to the east from here, in an abandoned building, but I do not remember exactly. I'm sorry." He looked at the Brit again. "I'm so, so sorry Arthur. You have no idea." A tear rolled down his cheek again, while he looked at the painful bluish reminder of him strangling his friend.

"Don't worry. It's okay now." Arthur smiled, and hugged the Frenchman.

"Ouch."

"Whoops. Sorry about that." The Brit had forgotten about the burns.

"No problem. Just...patch me up a little, okay?"

"Sure."

"Oh, and would you mind telling me how exactly I was cured? I am still pretty astounded of that. And that boy..."

As the Brit resumed healing Francis while explaining, outside the medical room stood a man, leaning against the wall.

He was crying silently, covering his mouth. "Antonio..." he sobbed, "..._cretino_." He then walked away abruptly, a curl bouncing up and down with every step.

Francis, meanwhile, had been told the whole story. He rubbed his chin. "Now I understand why he was so interested in him..."

"Excuse me, _who_was interested in_what?_" Arthur said, treating Francis' chest (there was a small bruise where Feliciano had punched him).

The Frenchman suddenly looked like he had remembered something. "I didn't tell you! Oh, poo. Well, the Sentient Nightmare sent us REDs to search for somebody. He gave us a not-so-detailed description of him, but we had to kill him. Mas... " Francis bit on his own tongue before he could say 'Master'. "... the _Nightmare_ kept rambling about a mistake, but did not say why it was a mistake or why we had to kill that man. Now however, I have an idea why. Feliciano is his name, you said?"

The Brit nodded. "Yes, and I suppose the Sentient wanted to kill him because he knew that he could cure Nightmares. And, now we know, REDs too."

"_Oui_, I think that too."

They continued talking, but eventually Arthur was done with the patching up. They wished each other goodnight, and went to bed. Well, Arthur slept on one of the many couches of the dining caves, with Mathias (the Dane was sleeping while hugging his axe, the reason unknown). Too many people were starting to live in there, they didn't have enough mattresses for everybody. They needed to write it on the wish list for when they would get out in the city again.

* * *

Ludwig was sitting on the mattress near the feverish Feliciano.

The small Italian wasn't giving any sign of improvement, so they had been given shifts to attend to. He had offered to stay up for that night. He didn't know why, but he was kind of strarting to feel protective over Feliciano. He just seemed so... _innocent,_in such a cruel world.

He sighed and replaced the cloth on the Italian's forehead. Feliciano's eyes twitched, but there was no other movement. He closed his eyes. He really hoped this...RED infection wouldn't kill him.

Suddenly the Italian started choking. His hands moved weakly towards his throat.

Ludwig was immediately alert. He was having respiratory problems again...!

He opened the first buttons of Feliciano's shirt, and blocked his hands so he wouldn't do anything to himself. The Italian tried to free himself, but was too weak to do that. He coughed some times, and then stilled again, relaxing and breathing normally.

The German sighed. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

_He was still way too hot. His whole body was on fire._

_For a while, he just stayed like that. Burning._

_But then he started struggling for air. Something was closing his throat. He heard a cackle somewhere, as a black hand materialized around his throat._

_No... No! He couldn't breathe...!_

_He panicked, and tried to pry the hand from his throat. But he couldn't move his hands...! They were being held down...!_

_The cackle became an evil laugh._

_No... He was going to die...!_

_No... His right hand burned hotter (if that was even possible) and the black hand suddenly released his neck, letting him breathe again._

_He relaxed, letting his lungs do their job. But he was still on fire._

_It was like this for hours. And he couldn't do anything but... burn._

_Eventually, after what felt like a century, his fingertips didn't feel so hot anymore._

_Finally, some relief, maybe?_

* * *

... _Meanwhile, in a crumbled building..._

A silhouette was sitting on the top of a building, crouched in an animal-like pose.

The being sighed, and looked down at his hands. If you could call those hands. In front of him there was a small puddle of water, and the being stared at his own reflection.

He shuddered, horrified. He was... _hideous._

Then he growled, anger quickly building up inside him and hands shaking with rage. The being snarled as he punched the puddle, and the concrete roof of the building cracked. The crack let the water seep away, and in moments his reflection was gone.

Again the being sighed, his anger gone, and grabbed his own head while diggind with his fingers through his hair. He closed his eyes firmly, and shook his head, muttering something.

His mental torment went on until a shout shook him out of his thoughts.

**"Hey, Antonio! Get your lazy ass over here, we're going!"** another being shouted, not so far away, waving at the first. He stood out from the grey asphalt and concrete because of the white covering his body.

The first being, Antonio, straightened up, and neared the white being.

**"Let's go, okay? Lukas is already ahead of** **us."**he paused. **"Hey, are you okay?"**

Antonio glared, and hissed a single word. **"...**_**Hungry**_**..."**

The white being smiled, understanding. **"Don't worry, we'll have dinner soon enough! Now, let's go."**

The two beings left, joining a third that was somewhere ahead.

The third being, with dull eyes, sighed as the other approached him. **"There are four main cities in the western area..."**

The white being folded his arms. **"So?"**

**"We'll have to split... Each of us searches one city, and then we meet up in the fourth, the farthest one from here... Let's see if we can find this 'mistake' Master talks about... And maybe avenge Francis too..."**The third being said, a bored tone in his voice.

**"Okay!**_**Lass uns gehen**_**!"**The white one said. He turned to Antonio. **"Will you be alright?"**

Antonio hissed. **"**_**I'll be**_****_**fine.**_**"**

The white one laughed. **"Of course. Seeya in the fourth city!"**

**"Hm... We'll meet there in two days, ok?"**

Then they split, each one going into a different direction.

* * *

_He was feeling less hot. His body was slowly cooling down... finally!_

_Aaah, what a relief._

_The molten lead he had istead of blood cooled down, and the warmth left his body._

_Only his heart and his hand were still hot, but not burning anymore._

_After what felt like hours, even his heart stopped being so warm._

_Then, finally, his hand cooled down too._

_..._

_Could he finally move, too?_

_He was starting to see some light in the darkness._

_Ugh, the light was now blinding him._

_And..._

_...was that an angel?_

_He had blond hair and azure eyes, and had gigantic wings..._

_...wait._

_Wait wait wait._

_Was that Ludwig?!_

* * *

Ludwig heard Feliciano stir in the morning. He suddenly had all his attention: the Italian hadn't moved all night.

He was pretty surprised when the boy actually opened his eyes. "...L...Ludwig?"

"_Ja._ You're awake!" The German smiled, relieved. He had thought that maybe Feliciano wouldn't survive it all...! But he was alive!

Feliciano coughed as he tried to sit up, and failed. His face was a deep shade of red, for some reason. Maybe he still had some fever? He had become very weak, Ludwig noticed. The elimination of the infection must have sapped all of his strength. He helped the Italian to sit up, and patted him on the shoulder. "Welcome to the world of the living."

Feliciano chuckled weakly. "Yeah..."

A shout was overheard through all the caves. "GUYS! FELICIANO'S ALIVE, AWAKE AND WELL!"

They both blinked, astonished.

"Was that...Mathias...?" Feliciano asked innocently.

Ludwig facepalmed. "How did he even...? Ah, _Gott,_nevermind. I should stop asking myself that..."

* * *

Romano slapped Mathias on the back of the head. "Stop being so loud, you moron. And is it true? Feliciano's actually awake?"

"_Ja!_He's weak, but he's alive!" The Dane responded.

"Tch. Weak. Give him some pasta and he'll be alright." The Italian snorted.

Tino raised an eyebrow. "Pasta...?"

Romano huffed. "Of course, pasta! The thing Feliciano always rants about!"

Mathias and Tino looked at each other. "He never mentioned pasta..."

Romano's eyes went wide. "You're shitting me, right?"

The Fin shrugged. "No. Really."

The Italian grabbed Tino's collar. "Get me some fucking pasta, and we'll cook it. He's Italian, give an Italian some pasta and he'll be as good as new. And we're talking about Feliciano. He used to nag me all day because he was so hungry for pasta..."

"You sure? I think that's just a myth..." Mathias raised an eyebrow. The Dane soon enough fled out of the cave, followed by a string of Italian insults.

Romano panted when he was done. He took a deep breath, and glared at the Fin. "Now let's get that motherfucking pasta."

* * *

..._Meanwhile, in the city_...

The figure slowly turned his head to scan his surroundings.

Boring, always so boring. Couldn't buildings fall in a more... he didnt' know, _organized_ way? It was all so messy. And all cities looked the same to him like this.

Not that he really cared.

The sun was hurting his eyes, but he ignored it. He needed to get the job done.

He searched the boring city.

Boring, boring, boring... He yawned. He felt the Nightmares sleeping under the rocks, but he found nothing else. No humans, no Francis, no mistake... nothing.

He kicked a stone.

It was all so pointless...

The being suddenly felt a tingle in his spine. He narrowed his eyes. That was a familiar feeling... a feeling that suddenly sparked some interest in him. He needed to know more.

He walked around a bit, and when he jumped on a rock, he got that tingle again.

**"Magic..."**the RED whispered, crouching to touch the stone with his fingertips. Someone had used magic there. And not that much time ago. It was still fresh in the air.

The being closed his eyes. Yes, it definitely was magic. Fire magic...? Yes. Fire.

He straightened up. **"...This could be interesting."**he said, as he started following the trail of the magic user, eventually heading to a desert.

* * *

**Holy sheeeeep this was hard to write! I do not know the reason though...**

**But I think next chapters will be easier... and after that... MWAHAHAHAAHAAH *choke* argh! **

**gh**

**anyway, i hope you enjoyed this chapter...!**

**I'll upload this friday! :D**

**_Merde : _**_(french) shit_

**___...cretino : _**___(italian) ...idiot_

___****__Lass uns gehen! :_(german) let's go!

**___Gott... :_**___ (german) God..._


	19. Pasta!

**ciao everybody! how are you all? i hope well :)**

**i am surprised no one guessed the RED of the previous chapter! MWAHAHAHAAH! does that mean i'm getting better..or worse? i actually don't know ._.**

**and to answer the many questions, matthew WILL be in this story! about yao... i do not know about him, i still have to see. **

**there are so many characters! D: it's so difficult to handle them all! but i think i'm managing...i hope!**

**...**

**O_O**

**4500 views, and 88 reviews!? wha...but i... ha... i don't even-! AFSDGAFSDH GAFDSHGAF SHDAGFSHGF DAHGDFAS GHGHHHHHHHHH!**

**thank you SO MUCH! you are so awesome! i have no words to describe how happy all this makes me!**

**ok that's a long note. i'll stop here, ve...**

**ENJOY**

* * *

Romano worked hard while cooking the pasta, humming a song to himself. Tino found only one pack of it, but it was enough, at least for one person, even if that person was Feliciano.

Ludwig brought the small Italian to the dining cave while supporting him (Feliciano was still a bit groggy) and they were welcomed by cheers and applause.

"You're alive, Feli!"

"I'm glad you made it, Feliciano-kun!"  
"Hiya there, you're Feliciano right? I'm Alfred, pleased to meet'cha!"

"Shut up morons! I can't concentrate like this!"

They all laughed, and Ludwig helped Feliciano sit/lay down on a couch. "What are you making, _fratellone_?"

"I'm making some motherfucking pasta!"

Feliciano blinked. "Pasta…?" what was that again? He had a vague memory of that… didn't he? Suddenly images flashed in his mind again. Delicious plates of food, with something yellow in it and many different colourful sauces… "…Pasta…" he repeated, eyebrows furrowing. Then not only the plates, but the names too popped up in his mind. Together with all their flavours. _Pasta al pomodoro, pasta al ragù, pasta al pesto, pasta alla carbonara, pasta cacio e pepe, pasta al forno, pasta ai funghi_…

Suddenly the Italian's eyes lit up, remembering. "PASTA! _Oddio_, how could I ever forget about my delicious pasta?!" His sudden outburst made him cough, though.

"Tch. Moron, take it easy. Here, take this, it's ready!" Romano said, coming nearer with a plate of pasta. "It's not much, and the sauce even lacks the cheese. But hey, it's the best we got. And besides! Pasta is always delicious."

Tino raised an eyebrow, while bringing in the coffee for the breakfast. "But, Romano, there's still some lef-"

Romano's face became a deep shade of red, before running to the kitchen. "_NOthatsnottruethereisNOpastaleftdoyouhearme?!_"

They all just laughed again, while Tino gave everyone their cup of coffee and their biscuits.

Feliciano marvelled at the pasta. It looked…awfully delicious, to say the least. He gulped it down and in minutes it was gone.

"Dude, you're fast! But I bet that in a competition, I would totally win!" Alfred smiled, eating his fourth biscuit (stolen from two careless neighbours – Bella and Mathias).

Ludwig was staring, wide eyed, the small Italian. "I wouldn't bet on that…"  
Feliciano burped. "Ve…! It was delicious, Romano! And I feel much better now!" He suddenly jumped up from the couch and ran around the room. He got back and spread his arms before plopping down again. "_Sì_! I feel much better!"

Everyone stared at him now, astounded looks on their faces.

"How is that even…possible?" Kiku asked out loud. "…He needed to be supported minutes ago!"

Mathias laughed. "I take that the myth actually is true, then! Pasta is the best medicine for any Italian!"

"What did I tell you, you fucking Dane son of a brainless iceberg?!" Romano retorted from the kitchen.

"Hey!" Mathias exclaimed, laughing. "Wait…where did my second biscuit go?"

Alfred whistled looking away innocently, and Mathias smirked before tackling him on his chair, both of them falling down.

Everyone was laughing again. Francis then walked in, going with a hand through his hair. "_Bonjour, _everyone. I see you all are in a chipper mood!" he smiled. They all turned to look at him, and had all different reactions. Kiku screamed, as did Bella, while Gatto meowed. Romano screeched and covered his eyes screaming profanities, Ludwig choked on his biscuit and covered Feliciano's eyes while closing his own ("Ve, what are you doing, Ludwig?"). Alfred frowned, and Mathias laughed, the Dane gaining an elbow in the ribs from Berwald. Tino just turned into a deep shade of purple, as did Arthur.

"What the bloody hell, Francis! _Get some fucking pants on, you French pervert!_" He quickly tossed the Frenchman his jacket. "Cover yourself! Please!"

"Oh, but it's been some time since I had a chance to see my body normal, _no_? And by the way, I always sleep naked." Francis pouted, as he covered himself with the jacket. Indeed, he was completely naked, except the places where he had been patched up because of his wounds. Arthur breathed a sigh of relief, and everyone opened their eyes again. (Romano was still cursing, by the way.)

"Ve, who is that?" Feliciano asked, lifting the German's hand from his face. He suddenly looked scared as he recognised the Frenchman. "Eeeeep! You're the…the…!"

Francis neared the two, and smiled. "Ah, _bonjour_, Feliciano! I apologize for how we met yesterday, I hope I can fix it all today. Pleased to meet you, I'm Francis Bonnefoy. You cured me, and you have all my gratefulness for that." He said, stretching out his hand. Feliciano smiled, fear disappearing and taking the hand.

"Ve! So you are cured! I'm so happy! Uh, _piacere_! I'm Feliciano Vargas." They shook hands.

Arthur interrupted them. "Now would you _please_ get some pants on?!" He pushed the almost-naked man back.

Francis laughed. "Alright, alright! I'm going already." And he left.

Alfred suddenly stood up, and followed the Frenchman, muttering that he 'had forgotten something' or something along those lines.

Everyone just resumed eating their breakfast, Ludwig filling Feliciano in about what had happened when he had been unconscious, how and why.

* * *

Francis had dressed himself up, and he huffed, flipping his hair back, as he glanced into the small mirror shard he had in his room. He frowned. His whole body was normal again, he had checked it that night. One thing was still unusual, though. His eyes were back to normal, his pupils weren't slits anymore and they didn't have that electric blue colour, but there was still a small reminder of it all. His eyes dimly _glowed_ in the semidarkness of his room. They weren't really giving that much light, but…let's just say you could see him in the dark.

He sighed, and exited his room. He walked back to the dining cave, but was suddenly pinned against a wall, a hand firmly gripping his shoulder.

"Ow! What in the-"

"I want some answers from you." Alfred whispered, venom dripping from his words.

"Excuse me?" Francis asked, wide-eyed. He tried to free himself from the grasp, but with no avail.

The American pushed him against the wall again. "I'm the one making the questions here. Now, I know you have been cured, and all of that weird mumbo-jumbo worked…" Alfred looked deep into his eyes, Francis knowing that he had noticed his eyes glowing a little "…but what you've done in the past is unforgettable and unforgivable."

The Frenchman grimaced. "Thank you for reminding me of that."

Alfred narrowed his eyes. "…I want to know what you did to my brother."  
"What…?"  
"Don't you 'what' me!" The American hissed, tightening his grip on Francis' shoulder and pressing him to the wall. "You remember me, don't you? We met before. A month ago, to be exact, but much more south from here. Am I wrong?"

Francis' brows furrowed. "_Oui_, actually, I do remember…but weren't you with someone else? Did he perhaps look like you…?" For some strange reason, his memory was hazy about that day.

"Exactly. With my brother. You drove us out of our hiding place, and we were forced to fight you. You wanted to eat us, if I remember correctly."

The Frenchman flinched, disgusted. "Please, don't remind me of that…"  
"Hell yes I will! The city we fought in was near a canyon of some sort, and the three of us ended fighting on the edge of the cliffs. Am I wrong?" Alfred pressed on.

"N-no…"

"So do you remember when my brother fell over the cliff, and barely managed to hold on the edge?"

Francis nodded, looking at his feet. He remembered now…

"Look at me!" Alfred's face was now centimetres from the Frenchman's. "You managed to grab me and throw me some meters away, and then you took off in the air. You grabbed my brother my his waist and then you were both gone." Alfred paused, licking his lips and whispering even more quietly. "_What did you do to him?_"

The Frenchman tried to free himself from the American's grasp again. "I-I…he…" Alfred was too strong, so he stopped struggling. "He… he managed to free himself from my grasp while we were flying. He…he fell in the canyon." He shuddered, remembering what he had thought at the time: 'what an easy kill!' "I went down looking for him, but he had fallen into the river on the bottom of the canyon. I really wanted to find him," _although not for saving him, _he thought. "But…he didn't resurface. I didn't even find the body. I'm sorry." He looked up, staring in the American's wide blue eyes. "I'm so sorry…" he repeated. But he knew no apology in the world would give the American his brother back.  
Alfred clenched his teeth. He positioned his free arm, ready to punch him. Francis closed his eyes shut, expecting the American to hit him. To his surprise, he instead let go of his shoulder.

"Wha…"  
Alfred glared at him, and then walked away. "It's not like I forgive you. But at least…" he stopped for a second, "…you didn't eat him. And if you didn't find his body… there might still be an infinitely small chance that he is alive…" Francis could hear in his voice that he didn't really believe that.

Then he was gone.

Francis had somehow forgotten to breathe. He suddenly gasped, air filling his lungs again, all tension leaving his body. He slowly slid down against the wall, until he sat on the ground. The Frenchman stared into nothingness for some seconds, before covering his face with his hands.

He had done so many horrible things…

He would never be able to forgive himself.

After what felt like hours, Bella went looking for him and noticed him sitting on the ground, hunched. He quickly composed himself, and smiled as he stood up, dusting his pants off. She smiled too, and they both returned to the dining cave.

As if nothing had ever happened.

The day passed quickly and uneventful. They decided not to go to the city, because maybe more REDs would be there. The Rock inhabitants had dinner, played cards for a bit and then all went to bed. Again Mathias and Arthur fell asleep on the couches, blissfully ignorant of what was about to come.

* * *

The RED hated the sun.

And he hated warmth almost as much.

Not only that, he had to walk into a damned _desert_. That was both things he hated combined. He cursed, muttering to himself.

He spent all day walking, following the faint magic user's trail, until finally, at dusk, he saw a mountain getting nearer.

Knowing the humans' nasty habit of hiding, he smirked. That probably was the place where the user was.

As the sun finally went down the horizon, he sighed, straightening his back, flexing his fingers and tail. Not only he felt much better without the darned light, but he also was at the foot of the mountain now, at last! Sometimes he wished he had wings, like Francis. That was so much more faster and convenient. Ah, but he was gone now, wasn't he? Oh well.

He closed his eyes, concentrating on the magic trail. He now _smelled_ the humans, too. And they were many. As he ascended the mountain, he grasped all the different scents. One, two…four…seven…wait, more than six humans, together?! Well, that was a rare sight. He filled his nostrils with the smells. His sense of smell wasn't nearly as refined as Gilbert's or Antonio's, but he could distinguish a lot of people in that hump of rocks.

As he followed a narrow path up the mountain, he finally saw an entrance. He narrowed his eyes, getting his guard up. You never knew, so he also made sure to make as less sound as possible.

The RED entered the cave, darkness enveloping him. He didn't mind the absence of light at all, he could see well in the dark. He continued walking, and the cave turned out to be pretty narrow, long and meandering. The smells, however, just got stronger, as did the magic source of the trail.

Eventually, after the umpteenth turn, the cave widened, and he saw a car. A jeep, to be exact.

A wave of smells suddenly hit him. He widened his eyes, surprised. Not six, not seven…more than _ten _people lived in there! He almost doubted his nose. Almost.

But then he started doubting it anyway. One of the many smells was very familiar, but…that couldn't be Francis, right? He snorted, deciding to give up on relying only on his nose. It wasn't really that useful to him anyway.

He concentrated on the magic trail again. Oh, the user was near, very near actually. He neared the passage that separated him from the other chamber. He hadn't expected to find this many humans, so he wouldn't risk confronting them alone. Even if he was hungry.

As he peeked into the room, the smell of Francis manifested himself more clearly to him, as well as two other smells. They practically hit him in the face, it was that strong. It really was him! But he couldn't distinguish if he was alive or not.

**"This changes everything…"** he murmured. He needed to find out if Francis was really there. If he was alive and captive (which crazy human would actually capture a RED, anyway? Oh well, he didn't question it further), or dead. But one of the other two smells somehow felt familiar, and the tingle in his spine told him the magic user was nearby. He frowned, judging the risks, and took a decision.

Lukas Bondevik flared his nostrils, and then entered the dining cave.

* * *

**stupid cliffhangers!**

**i'm sorry! but otherwise the next scene would have taken too long for me to write, and i would not have been able to upload!  
anyway!  
i hope you liked that the pasta was (FINALLY) put in this story :D**

**have a nice weekend! ;)**

**_Pasta al pomodoro : _**_(its all talian, duh) pasta with tomato sauce_

**_pasta al ragù : _**_pasta with meat sauce_

**_pasta al pesto : _**_pasta with basil sauce_

**_pasta alla carbonara : _**_pasta with eggs, bacon, cheese, onions and pepper_

**_pasta cacio e pepe : _**_pasta with cheese and pepper_

**_pasta al forno : _**_pasta in the oven_

**_pasta ai funghi :_**_ pasta with mushrooms_

**_piacere! : _**_(italian) pleased to meet you!_


	20. Ice

**ciao everybody! i'm back! and even before friday :P i guess i cant stop myself from writing! i just love this story :D**

**this is a long friggin chapter, and i doubt anybody is interested in my ranting at the beginning of the chapter, so sit back und**

**ENJOY**

* * *

Arthur shivered, nuzzling a little in the thin sheet he had. Hm, that didn't help much.

Darn it! Why did desert nights have to be so cold?!

He sighed and opened his eyes, glancing sideways before staring at the rocky ceiling. Mathias was snoring on the sofa some meters from him, drooling a little and again hugging the axe(or _Økse_, like he would call it, referring to it as to a woman). He would have to get up and look for another sheet in the storage room…he would do that the moment he found the willpower to stand up. He blinked, and suddenly the room got even colder.

What was going on? There was no wind, so how could it get so freaking chilly all of the sudden?

He widened his eyes as he saw his breath.

No way. No way in hell had it become so freezing cold!

He then heard steps. Really delicate and light ones, but he still heard them. He also heard soft clicking. He flinched, grimacing, recognizing the dreadful sound. RED armour. He fought his screaming instincts with all his might, closing his eyes shut, maybe he hadn't noticed he was awake, and he would be able to surprise him… Millions of questions were raging inside Arthur's head. Which RED was it? Why was he here? Had Francis somehow led him to their hiding place? What would it do? What could he, Arthur, do? He was still a bit tired from the fight with Francis the day before… Darn it!

His body stiffened as the RED came nearer. He was all strung up, his fingernails burying themselves into his palms.

The clicking neared him. _Shitshitshitshitshit! What do I do?! _He forced himself to stay calm, even if the bitter cold and the tension was making him shiver. Hopefully he wouldn't notice it. The clicking stopped, and he felt a light chilly breath caress his cheek. He shivered, however he still did as if he was fast asleep, stirring a little as if dreaming. But his heart was pounding in his chest so hard that he though his ribcage would explode if he didn't calm down.

The RED did not move for a handful of dreadful seconds, then fell for it and walked away from him. He still wasn't making almost any sound, except for the soft clicking.

He cautiously cracked an eye open to look, even if in the semidarkness he hardly could see anything.

The RED was now standing in front of the couch where Mathias was snoring. Arthur only saw his back, but noticed immediately the night-blue armour and… was that a tail?! The armour had a strange shimmer on it, as if… no, not as if. It _was_ coated in ice. And Arthur could see where the RED had walked, because he left frozen footprints behind. And did the ice… glow, somehow?

Arthur frowned. This was probably Lukas…Tino had filled him in about their Norwegian friend. He needed to stop him, restrain him in one way or another! But if he was careless, the RED would slice him in two like butter. He needed to be quick, and draw every Rock member's attention, so they would win with numbers. Luckily, he still had that speed spell on his dagger. He moved a little, ready to feign sleep again if he caught the RED's attention. Fortunately, the Norwegian seemed pretty concentrated on Mathias at the moment. Arthur felt it was safe to move a little more.

Lukas hunched over a little, to bring his face to the same level of Mathias'. The Dane stopped snoring and giggled in his sleep, smacking his lips a little before resuming snoring again.

Arthur was sitting now, grasping his dagger, ready to jump up against the RED if it made any strange movement.

The Norwegian cocked his head to one side, intensely observing Mathias' face. Then he suddenly straightened up, flexing his claws, ready to lash at the sleeping Dane.

That did it.

Arthur jumped up and wrapped his arms around the RED, a freezing coldness seeping into his bones almost immediately. **"****_Hva_****?!" **before Lukas had any chance to react, the Brit sank the glowing dagger in his not armoured shoulder, the RED roaring in pain. Mathias abruptly shot awake. "What the…?!"

Lukas tried to shake the Brit off of his back, while taking a few steps backwards. The blue tail was swinging furiously, trying too to hit Arthur, who held on for dear life.

The RED suddenly stopped moving, and whispered something.

**"****_Ispigger_****." **And from the Norwegian's back sprouted six icicle spikes.

Arthur screamed as they sank deep into his flesh, while Mathias watched, horrified. "Arthur!"

* * *

Feliciano kept turning and turning in his bed. He had that feeling in his gut again. _Oh no…_ it was the same feeling he had had when Ludwig had gone outside… so a Nightmare was nearby?

He sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes. Gatto stirred, getting closer to him, and he meowed worriedly.

Feliciano smiled a little, petting the cat's head. "You feel it too?" Gatto nuzzled against his hand purring, but the Italian saw he wasn't relaxed. "I guess so…"

"Shut up Feli, I can't sleep." Romano groaned from the other side of the bed.

"Oh, sorry Romano." Feliciano whispered. "Don't worry, I won't make a sound."

"You better."  
Feliciano's guts stirred again, and he hissed as he brought both hands to his stomach. This wasn't like the other time… something was different. The feeling at the time with Ludwig wasn't as strong as this one! And was the cave somehow getting colder? And before he hadn't known what that feeling meant. Now in his head there were only two words, constantly repeating themselves.

Run, danger.

Danger. Run, run. Danger.

Runrunrun danger runrun dangerdanger runrunrunrunRUN!

"Hey, are you alright?" Romano asked, turning to face him.

Feliciano shook his head a little, but smiled. "I'm not feeling well, but it's nothing, don't worry."

Gatto meowed softly. "Are you sure?" his brother pressed on. Feliciano heard the worried tone of his voice.

He nodded, sweat starting to form on his forehead. "Yes, I'm-"

Suddenly a howl reverberated through the caves. A distorted one.

"Shit…!" Romano cursed, and Gatto hissed, his fur standing up.

"Ve!" Feliciano yelped, scared.

They both jumped out of their beds, grabbed their weapons and leaped into the corridor in which all the sleep-caves were. Everyone had gotten out of their beds, hair messed up and clothes dishevelled, looking around confusedly and clutching their weapons, half-awake.

"Wh't w's th't?" Berwald asked, putting his glasses on and moving to the dining cave already.

Francis hopped into the corridor, trying to put trousers on. "It sounded like…" he stumbled a little while buttoning the pants, "…a RED…!"

Then they heard a scream. Everyone recognised Arthur's voice. "Arthur…!"

They all sprinted to the cave, but suddenly a gelid wind brushed past them, freezing the ground and walls. "What in the…?" they were almost at the entrance of the big cave, and they saw a blue and purple figure raise a hand towards them.

**"****_Lage en mur_****."**

"What the fffuuuuuck?!" Alfred and Romano exclaimed jumping back, as a shadow whirled past them and an icy wall shot up in front of them, sealing the corridor. "_Sheiße!_" "_Merde!_" Francis banged his fists against the wall, while Ludwig tried to hit it with his hammer. The ice did not even crack or splinter. "The bastard bottled us up!"

Was Feliciano dreaming, or was the ice glowing faintly? And was that a RED? So that was why he had had that feeling? But then… he turned to face Francis. Why didn't he have it with him that day?

Tino fumbled with his spear, nervous. "Weren't Arthur and Mathias sleeping there?"

"Shit!" Alfred punched the wall too. "It really was a RED!"

"We saw that already, you cretin." Romano grumbled.

Tino stuttered. "I-I think I recognized him…!"

"You know who that bastard is?"

The Fin shuffled his feet. "I…he was Lukas…"

"This is so unfortunate!" Kiku said, politely and controlled as always, but Feliciano saw he was nervous.

"Wait guys, I think we're missing someone." Bella frowned.

They all looked at each other, finally seeing someone was missing.

"Where the hell is Berwald?"

* * *

Mathias tightened his grip on _Økse_, clenching his teeth. Lukas was standing motionlessly in front of him, composed as a soldier, not moving. The Dane looked at the icicle spikes that had sprouted from the RED's back, coated in blood, and at the knife that was stuck in the Norwegian's shoulder.

Lukas hadn't changed that much in one year. He still had that pale blond hair, and that cross-shaped clip on the right side of his face. He had always had that expressionless face, but his eyes had held some light in them, once.

Now those eyes were glowing, but they were devoid of all emotion. Those once deep ocean-blue orbs had become almost electric blue, even if some shades darker than Francis'.

Another difference was that there were ice crystals in his hair, in his eyebrows and eyelashes. As if he had stood outside when it was snowing.

The final and biggest difference was the night-blue armour, coated in ice, covering the whole right half of his body, while on his left side it was missing in some places, showing the purple-blue jacket under it. The dreadful skull-like mask covered less than the half of the Norwegian's face, but still looked unsettling. It only was present on the left part of his face, covering the forehead and his eye, casting it in shadow. It didn't cover his cheek, though a sharp toothed jaw framed the RED's jawbone.

Oh and the tail of course. That long lizard-like tail.

And the clawed hands and feet.

…

Okay, maybe he had changed quite a lot.

He glanced to his right, where Arthur was lying unmoving on the floor, limbs sprawled and six perforations in his torso. All spikes had hit him. Blood was staining his clothes, darkening the fabric, and the Brit's eyes were dull.

"_Lort_!" he cussed. "Arthur, stay awake!" but there was no reaction.

**"Such a stupid move. But he did succeed in ruining my original plan." **Lukas complained, extracting the knife from his shoulder without batting so much of an eyelash.

"Hell yes he did! Everyone's awake now, and in no time there will be ten _very_ pissed off humans ready to kick your ass!" he retorted.

The RED sighed, the knife clattering on the frozen ground at his feet. **"So loud…" **They suddenly both heard hurried steps coming from a corridor. "What in the…?" they both heard someone say.

Lukas turned his head to his right, and raised an arm, hand outstretched, a bored look on his face. **"****_Lage en mur._****" **He flexed his wrist and raised the hand, and a frozen wall came out of nowhere, bottling the other Rock inhabitants in the corridor. But before it could seal completely up, a figure jumped from the darkness and landed skidding on the rocky ground.

Berwald straightened up and dusted his pants off with one hand, while raising his sword with the other one. "L'kas." He grunted, his glare icier than usual.

"Yo! Berwald! At least I'm not alone in this!" Mathias cheered. "Lukas, you're fucked now, you know that?" He smirked, bending down in battle pose, holding his axe firmly in front of him.

Berwald glanced behind the Dane, and noticed Arthur. "_Skit_…" he looked first at Lukas, and then at Mathias.

The Dane glanced at the frozen wall behind the Swede and nodded. He had understood. Arthur had to be taken care of, and they needed Feliciano to cure Lukas, but he was unavailable at the moment. However, they didn't need the Italian to knock the RED down… and attend to both businesses later.

**"You think you can take me, both of you, don't you?" **Lukas sighed, unimpressed.

Both blondes grimaced, clenching their teeth. "Shut up, Lukas."

Lukas narrowed his eyes, and took off the bored stance, taking a more battle-like one. He raised his chin. **"Don't you remember…Mathias? I think I almost sliced your chest in two, didn't I…? and you…Berwald." **He looked at the Swede now. **"…I'm surprised you are still able to see something. And you ****_both _****should consider yourself lucky to still be alive." **He paused, thinking. **"Oh, but there was another one, right? …Tino, I think his name was. Where is he? I'd like to give him some ****_payback_****…" **He bowed his head again, a shadow casting itself over both of his eyes which were glinting ominously. His next words were a mere whisper. **"After all…he almost killed me."**

Mathias saw from miles away that it was a dare. And it worked. Berwald's eyes flamed with rage, even if his face maintained the stern expression.

"Berwald, don't-!"

Too late, the Swede launched himself forward, attacking with the heavy broad sword. Lukas knew Berwald's weakness: if he got angry, he wouldn't be able to think clearly anymore, rampaging like a wild bear.

The Swede swung the sword, and Lukas blocked it with his forearm. They stood like this for a moment, and then the RED spun and hit Berwald's back with his tail, striking him down.

Mathias snarled, attacking too. _Økse _rotated in the air, before hitting Lukas' claw that was about to strike Berwald. The hit was strong, so the RED backed away a little. Mathias' eye twitched. If he only had a gun…! And there was still the problem of Arthur, who was probably bleeding to death… they needed to get this over with quickly!

Lukas sighed, flexing his fingers and claws, making that annoying clicking sound. **"Hm, it's getting too hot in here to my taste…"**

Mathias' eyes widened, "Oh shi-"

Both of them were just able to jump/roll aside before a icy stalagmite raised up from the cave's floor. Mathias huffed, and ran towards the RED again, engaging him.

They started duelling, claws against steel, the Dane engrossed by the fight, Lukas looking bored. **"I am actually impressed. I thought you couldn't fight me, Mathias… How come you didn't have the same determination back then?" **the RED mocked him.

Mathias shouted "Hah!" before they broke apart. He noticed that ice was coating the blade of _Økse_, making it glow a little. "So what, if I'm able to fight you now?"

**"Oh, nothing. I just couldn't not notice how you looked stupid, defenceless and ****_weak_**** back then. You just stood there, dumbstruck. So I guess people do change, then. Or-"**

The RED was interrupted by Berwald, who attacked him from the side, again blade clashing with claws.

Mathias looked around. He had to make sure they didn't fight near Arthur, or…!

Wait.

Where had he gone?!

* * *

Ugh…

His torso had been ripped apart.

At least that's what it felt like.

He counted six spikes, and he had six punctures in his body.

His ribs were probably cracked, and his lungs punctured. Two other spikes had hit him in both shoulders, and the other pair had hit him in his abdomen. He was losing a lot of blood.

He wasn't exactly in top shape. His ears were ringing, every sound muffled and confused. He coughed, and tasted the metallic flavour of blood.

Darn it.

He commanded his head to turn, and his eyes to focus. He saw that the RED was fighting Mathias…and Berwald? But where were the others then? Had his plan failed?

Arthur squeezed his eyes shut before focusing again on his surroundings, even if his vision was a bit blurry. Most of the cave had been covered in ice, random stalagmites scattered here and there. The whole place had been cast in a dim azure glow, coming from the ice.

Why was the ice glowing? REDs had astounding abilities, but he couldn't understand why-

His train of thought was interrupted by a surge of pain flowing through his body. He grunted, rolling to one side and curling up and wrapping his torso with his arms, trying to block at least a little of the bleeding. His arms protested loudly because of the wounded shoulders, but he grunted and did it anyway. Shit, he knew one or two healing spells, but unfortunately he couldn't perform them on himself. He panted heavily, trying to keep the pain at bay, and looking up again.

Wait…

That was it...! The RED was using magic. He was combining magic in his native language with his RED ability.

That wanker. The Dane and the Swede would surely die, fighting an adversary of that calibre alone.

He needed to get the other ones. Why weren't they here already?

The Brit forced his head to lift up a little bit more, and looked at the passage to the bedroom area. Oh, so that was why. Arthur grimaced, the wanker had closed it up with a frozen wall.

His eyes narrowed. That ice…even with his magic fire he would have trouble dealing with it. And in his current state, he wouldn't be able to do much. But…in his mind an idea flashed. Despite himself, he smiled.

He started moving little by little, crawling, his body screaming in excruciating pain, but he didn't care. In order to carry out his plan, he needed to be near the passage.

* * *

Mathias was having serious problems dealing with the Norwegian. He panted, wiping the blood from his forehead where a random flying icicle had grazed him.

Even if Lukas' shoulder was injured, it was almost impossible to get near the guy, let alone hit him! When he got too close, the RED would make one of those stalagmites raise from the ground. If he was lucky enough to dodge that, he would have to watch out for his claws. Attacks from behind were also risky, firstly because of those icicles sprouting from his back as if he was a hedgehog and then because of that tail.

Berwald had had problems too, and they both had noticed that their only chance was for them to try and hit the RED simultaneously.

That cooperation seemed to work a little better. Mathias found his confidence back, finally believing he might survive this and see his friend be cured.

"Why aren't you talking anymore, Norge?" The Dane mocked, calling him by his nickname while hitting him with _Økse_.

**"I'm too busy trying to ignore you. Don't interrupt me."** The RED said, without even losing a heartbeat or faltering while fending off attacks from two sides. **"Hm." **he grabbed the Dane's axe and threw it away, snatching it from his hands.

"Shit!" he was defenceless! Lukas had already raised a blue claw to lash out at him.

"M'thias!" Berwald exclaimed, pushing him away and blocking the claw with his sword. The Swede's muscles tensed under the RED's blow, and Mathias scrambled up as fast as he could to retrieve his lost weapon.

**"Trying to be the hero, aren't we, Berwald?" **Lukas cocked his head to one side, and then the smallest smile appeared on his features for the first time. His face neared Berwald's, the sword still blocking and fighting back the claw. Lukas whispered in his ear, eyes narrowing. **"Don't you remember what happened the last time you played the hero…?" **Berwald's light blue orbs widened instantly, as the other claw lashed out at his eyes.

"BERWALD!" Mathias shouted, running to help the Swede, but alas, too late.

Berwald let out a cry of pain as Lukas scratched both his eyes in a horizontal line, batting the glasses away, which shattered at the impact. The tall Swede fell on his knees, both hands covering his face. Blood dripped between his fingers, and the red droplets gained an even more disturbing red colour when they fell on the glowing frozen ground.

"Lukas! You _røvhul_!" Mathias yelled, bringing _Økse _down on the Norwegian's head with as much force as he could gather, gritting his teeth in anger. He didn't care now if it was his friend, trapped inside that hideous armour. His mind was blinded with furious rage.

Lukas blocked the blow, again, and was about to counterattack, when another voice was heard in the cave. It wasn't more than a whisper, but somehow there was power in those words.

"_Dirue murum_"

Suddenly the wall beside the frozen passage fractured with a loud crack. The fracture drew a circle on the surface, and then the wall crumbled, leaving a dark hole. Tino was the first one to jump through it and land in the cave. As soon as he saw the Fin's face, the Dane smiled, despite himself, feeling a little relieved. "Tino…!"

**"No. People never change. You always make the same mistake, Mathias." **

"Wha-"

"Mathias!" the ones who crawled from the hole cried out in unison.

Mathias' words were cut off as the RED sank his claw deep into the Dane's abdomen. Mathias bent over as the air wheezed out of his lungs, and _Økse _clattered on the floor, falling from the Dane's hands.

The two of them stayed like this for some seconds, frozen in place, Mathias gasping for air, "L-Lu…kas…" He tried to grab hold of the hand that was sinking deep into his flesh, but somehow he wasn't able to. He couldn't focus, his vision was blurred…

Lukas did not even look at him.

Horror was written all over the Rock inhabitant's faces as they could only watch.

The Norwegian's eyes narrowed, and he extracted the bloodied hand from the man's gut. Mathias, not having any support anymore, exhaled, fell on his knees, and then face-first to the floor.

Silence filled the cave, and nobody moved.

Feliciano, Ludwig, Kiku, Tino, Alfred, Bella, Romano and Francis glanced around in horror to see what had happened. Arthur was lying on the ground not so far from where they had entered, but the paleness of his face and the six wounds in his torso made clear he wasn't in a good shape. The Brit had also left a smudged red trail behind. Mathias was lying at the RED's feet, and Berwald…

Berwald suddenly swung his sword, roaring in rage, his face a grotesque mask of blood. Feliciano asked himself how he could see… but then he realized that he couldn't. His eyes were closed shut, and a deep horizontal slash marred his face.

The sword slashed the unprotected left side of the Norwegian, creating an arch of blood. Lukas hopped back, out of the rampaging Swede's reach.

**"Tch. Still fighting even if you can't see… such persistence." **Lukas gritted his teeth, placing a hand over his wound.

Finally, as if they had been in trance this whole time, the ones that crawled from the hole moved. Bella and Kiku rushed to Arthur's side, Tino ran to Mathias' while Alfred, Ludwig, Romano and Francis took their battle stances in front of Lukas. Feliciano was unsure what to do, though. He was needed to cure Lukas, but he wasn't really that useful in a fight… so he decided to gently pull Berwald away from the fight.

Bad choice. The Swede was bloody furious, snarling and trying to find the Norwegian without his eyesight. Thus by swinging his sword around aimlessly.

"Berwald! Berwald calm down, please! It's me, Feli!" the Italian tried to calm him down, his hands raised as if he was calming a scared animal, even if he knew he couldn't see. But Berwald didn't seem to hear him. "If you don't stop doing that you'll hurt the others!"

That at least reached his ears. He suddenly stopped, panting, lowering the sword, and Feliciano deemed it safe to near him and slowly walk away from the RED a bit.

Lukas looked confused, to say the least. He was frantically looking back and forth from the Rock inhabitant's faces. He looked at Feliciano and Romano, remembering his Masters' description but not knowing exactly which of the two was the real 'mistake'. Then he looked at Tino, a scowl appearing on his face, the Fin obviously not reminding him of something pleasant. But then he saw Francis.

His brows furrowed, doubt and disbelief manifesting on his emotionless face. **"****_Hva…_****but, it can't…Francis…?" **he raised a clawed hand, pointing at the Frenchman. **"You!? How are you human again?! This isn't possible!"**

Suddenly it looked as if an enormous headache had struck the Norwegian, as he grimaced, clawing at his hair. He took a few steps back, hissing and bowing his head. Then, as sudden as it had come, the pain was gone, and Lukas' face snapped up again. **"****_Felle._****" **He raised his hands, and suddenly ice sprouted from the floor, enveloping and trapping everyone's legs, filling the cave with curses in various languages.

Feliciano struggled in his icy binds, and felt his feet going numb from the freezing coldness. He was terrified to say the least, and tears started pooling in his eyes.

Lukas looked worn out all of the sudden, pressing a clawed hand on the wound Berwald had caused. A single sweat drop was glinting on his cheek, but it didn't freeze. Frowning, he calmly neared Francis, who was like the others struggling to break free, waving his arms trying to maintain his balance. Ludwig was the nearest to him, and tried to stop the advancing RED with his sledgehammer, but the Norwegian snatched it away from the German's hands and continued walking.

When he was near the Frenchman, the RED cupped his chin get a better look at him. **"How…you really are Francis…" **he released the chin, shaking his head. **"How?!"** he bellowed out loud.

He then suddenly neared Romano, who was also stripped of his weapon as soon as the Norwegian got near him.

"Don't you fucking come nearer, you FREAK!" Romano yelled, obviously panicking. Lukas' eyes narrowed. No. This wasn't his target.

He so started walking towards Feliciano instead, who yelped in fear.

Suddenly everyone heard some hurried steps, and a yell. "Norge! Catch!"

An unidentified red object flew across the cave, and Lukas caught it with one hand, but he recognized the voice, and of course the nickname.

**"****_Hva…?_****"**

Mathias was standing, smirking, at the other end of the cave. A hand was over his bleeding abdomen, and in the other he held a small rectangular box. "…I do learn."

Lukas' eyes widened, horrified, as the Dane lighted a match and let it fall on the trail of gasoline that had come out of the red tank, now in his clawed hand. There was a hole at the bottom, and the fuel was steadily spilling out.

He let go of it immediately, but it was too late.

The match ignited the gasoline trail, which caught fire immediately. The trail immediately ignited at blinding speed, and then reached the tank, which was now on the ground.

**"…****_Skít_****."**

The tank exploded, and the RED was thrown off his feet. As soon as the Norwegian hit the wall and fell unconscious, all the ice that had formed crumbled to pieces.

Everyone fell, suddenly released from their bindings and dazed because of the explosion. Feliciano's ears were ringing. Mathias smiled to himself, and then his eyes rolled back in his head, falling unconscious on the floor.

There was a stunned silence for a moment, before Ludwig found the willpower to stand up, remembering there were three people seriously wounded. He looked around, and took a deep breath. "Everyone, let's patch them up now, before they die of blood loss!"

They all immediately stood up, taking Arthur and Mathias, who needed immediate attention. The only problem was, the medic was one of the wounded.

"_Sheiße!_ Does somebody know how to patch them up somehow?" Ludwig swore.

Bella raised a hand tentatively. "Uhm…I know something about wrapping bandages, but these wounds probably need to be stitched, and I don't know how to do that."  
Tino neared them, helping Berwald to walk. "I know how to stitch, even if I'm definitely not a professional… I can try…"

"That's perfect."

"Dude! Look at him! He's gonna die, I'll tell ya!" Alfred exlaimed pointing at the Brit.

"Shut up, you asshole." Romano growled.

Feliciano lost what they said next, because he was too concentrated looking at Lukas. He was lying on the floor, his back leaning against the wall. The explosion had turned his clothes in tatters, and his armour had a small crack on his abdomen. He raised his right hand, pondering if he should do that. He had just recovered, after all…

Ludwig grabbed his wrist, suddenly beside him, snapping him back to reality. "Do you really feel you can do it?" he asked in a low voice.

Feliciano shook his head slowly at first, but then nodded firmly. "_Sì_. I…I feel it's the right thing to do."

"Alright." Ludwig let go of his wrist, but the Italian suddenly realized he actually didn't know what he was supposed to do. Should he command his hand to heal? Say a spell like Arthur did? It sounded a bit stupid… Or punch him like he had done with Francis? While thinking, the Italian placed the hand gently on the Norwegian's chest. The back of his hand glowed brightly as soon as he made contact, and the chest armour cracked. Feliciano was startled, and instinctively wanted to pull the hand back, but it was as if it was glued to Lukas' chest.

"Ve…!"  
"Feli!" Ludwig exclaimed, worried.

Again a warm feeling surged into his palm, and then everything went black.

* * *

**Wow, that escalated quickly ._.**

**anyway! i loved writing this scene! i had 5 different ideas for this, but i really like how it turned out, i kinda mixed them all together :P**

**norge is a cruel meany, sorry! please forgive me! *hides* and im sorry for doing that to mathias and berwald! really!**

**ooooooh someone noticed there is a character missing! :D good for you! you get a plate of pasta if you guess who it is!**

**and how many times will i have to say i LOVE you all?! for the views, (we reached 5000!) the wonderful reviews (102!) and all of the faves and follows! YOU ARE AWESOME ^^ **

**i don't know if i'll be able to write these days (school, whoops), so i don't know if i'll upload like every friday! but i hope the long chapter makes up for my absence for a few days ;P**

**oh and i posted this at 22.48 (10.48 pm) which actually is pretty late for me, since i have to wake up VERY early in the morning.. so if there are any mistakes, its because im tired! :P i'll definitely edit if there are some (which im sure there will be)**

_**-EDIT- I knew it! i knew i was going to mess something up! Guys, alfred IS NOT the missing charachter! i forgot writing about him! i edited the chapter, but i really apologize if it caused any confusion!**_

**good night everybody! and good day if you are reading this during the day!**

_**Økse : **__(danish) axe_

_**Hva? :**__ (norwegian) what?_

**_Ispigger :_**_ (norwegian) icicle spikes (i'm actually not sure of this translation...)_

**_Lage en mur :_**_ (norwegian) raise a wall_

**_Sheiße! : _**_(german) shit!_

**_Merde! :_**_ (french) shit!_

**_Lort! :_**_ (danish) shit!_

**_Skit :_**_ (swedish) shit_

**_Røvhul! : _**_(danish) asshole!_

**_Dirue murum : _**_(latin) destroy the wall_

_**Felle : **__(norwegian) trap/imprison (again, i'm not sure)_

_**Skít : **__(norwegian) shit_

**_Sì :_**_ (italian) yes_


	21. Defrost

**im back!**

**:D**

**guys! i knew i would screw up something in the previous chapter! ALFRED IS NOT THE MISSING CHARACTER! sorry if it caused any confusion...**

**anyway, many already guessed who it is! :D**

**ah, finally spring has started here in italy. it's been horrible weather since october, but now the sun is shining again! and everything is in bloom! :3 its very inspiring**

**i made two other drawings (im getting WAY too obsessed with this story!) they're on deviantart, if anyone is interested!**

**/art/Nightmare-Apocalypse-Playing-the-hero-3652715 86?q=gallery%3Aleluireclaanna%2F29929887&qo=3**

**/art/Nightmare-Apocalypse-REDs-II-365244375?q=gallery%3Aleluireclaanna%2F29929887&qo=2**

**huh, but let's get on with the story, shall we?**

**ENJOY**

* * *

Tino shook his head, discouraged. "It…it's impossible…!"

"_Nee_, we can do it!" Bella retorted.

The Fin looked desperate. He wiped his forehead, smudging it with a little blood. "Bella, look! He has a punctured lung, and a lot of broken ribs. I am no medic, and I don't know how to treat this! And neither do you!"

Arthur was lying motionlessly on the table in his own medical room. Bella and Tino were able to patch Mathias and Berwald, while Ludwig and Romano were looking after Feliciano. The Belgian and Fin were also able to patch Arthur's shoulders and abdomen up, but the two wounds on his chest were horrible, to say the least. The left wound looked like it didn't hit the lung, so that one they could patch up in one way or the other. But the right one… Every time the Brit breathed the air would wheeze through the hole, with a gruesome gurgle.

"I… maybe I can do something…" Kiku offered, coming inside. "I am no professional… but what I do know is that you mustn't let blood or air get into his lungs from the wound, and make it possible for the air to get out."

"Are you sure…? How can you even do that?" Tino asked hesitantly.

Arthur started a cough fit, blood trickling down from the corner of his mouth and the wound gurgling disturbingly.

"It's worth the try! Otherwise Arthur will probably die. Do what you can, please!" Bella shoved Kiku near the table.

The Japanese took a deep breath, concentrating and looking down at the wheezing Brit. "_Hai_."

* * *

Mathias woke up with a start, the lower part of his torso burning. He quickly sat up, but instantly regretted it as his abdomen started hurting like hell. "Gah…!" He hissed, putting a hand over his stomach, lying down again. He was lying on a mattress, in a room. He glanced sideways, and noticed a once white small beret in one corner. Hm, that was Tino's favourite hat. That meant this was his room.

Why was he here?

And why did his abdomen hurt so much…? He touched the soft warm fabric there with his fingers.  
He spent a minute wondering about that, until the recent events came crushing down on him like a tidal wave. Arthur. The RED. Lukas. The ice. Berwald. Lukas, sinking his claw deep into his flesh… a gasoline tank. Lukas.

"Lukas!" The Dane exclaimed, sitting up again. He held back a loud groan, as his stomach screamed in protest. He looked down, and noticed his shirt had been cut open. Probably to get to his wound. He grimaced as he saw the bloody bandages. He probably had been stitched up too. And without painkillers, the pain was increased tenfold.

"_Lort_…!" He cussed, and a string of Danish curses soon followed as he stood up. He wobbled on his feet, and leaned on the wall to stand straight. Nonetheless his shoulders were hunched, while his left hand covered his abdomen. A single sweat drop trickled down his cheek, as he took a deep breath.

"One step at the time."

And he started walking.

* * *

He stood in darkness. If he was standing. Maybe he was lying down.

Honestly, he couldn't tell. And didn't care either.

He felt cold. So cold…as if his heart had frozen up and had stopped beating.

In his veins the blood wasn't flowing. It had frozen up as well.

His breathing was erratic. Correction, he almost couldn't breathe. And the small amount of air he managed to get into his lungs scratched his windpipe, and was also glacial.

He couldn't stand all this coldness. It felt so painful, so bitter, so…lonely.

But…what was there besides the cold? What was warmth exactly? He couldn't remember what it felt like. Did it even exist?

Something flew through the darkness. A red object. He heard a voice, echoing through the darkness. "Norge! Catch!"

He did catch the object.

Did he know that voice…?

…No.

And that was definitely _not_ his name. He didn't remember what his name _was_, actually…

But he did know what the object in his hands was. A gasoline tank. He dropped it, and it fell down, through the floor(if you could call the thing he was standing on floor). It fell deep, deep, until he couldn't see it anymore. Then it flared brightly, and exploded. He shielded his eyes for the light, but otherwise the thing had no effect on him.

Suddenly something pressed down his chest. Heavily. _Get off…! _He tried to move that something but he found out he couldn't move himself anymore. Why was he blocked?!

The thing on his chest pressed down even more. He was already having problems breathing alone, he didn't need something making it more difficult! But then something happened. Something was moving inside his body. It left his fingertips and toes, and then retracted more, going up his elbows and knees.

Wait.

Was the coldness leaving him?

The thing on his chest was absorbing the coldness away from his body…? How..?

The ice in his body had almost left him completely, it was only in his heart now. It seemed to take more time to melt than the rest of the body, as if resisting. But then even his heart defrosted. And it started beating again. First unsure, almost having forgotten how to do it. One beat. Two beats.

Ba-bump. Ba-bump. The beating resumed, regularly.

…

…What a wonderful feeling…!

His blood started flowing again, making his fingertips tingle.

So this was what warmth felt like. He kind of remembered now… didn't he?

Then his lower back started hurting. Burning. That was too much warmth…!

But, as soon as it had come, it disappeared. He heard a snap somewhere.

Weird.

In the darkness around him something stirred. Again, the voice of before. "Norge…! Norge, wake up."

He looked around confusedly. Where was it coming from? It echoed through the dark space around him, he couldn't pinpoint the source.

"_Norge!_"

Dang it, that voice was way too loud. He winced. Suddenly something wrapped itself on his left ankle.

What…?! He looked down, and saw a black, clawed hand holding firmly onto his ankle. Deep down below him, two purple eyes shone in the complete darkness, and he had the strangest feeling of being smiled at. He shuddered, and shouted in surprise as the hand started pulling him down.

Where could he hold on to? He wasn't standing on anything anymore! He was more…floating in water, now. Yes, that was the feeling. And… he couldn't breathe again. Great. He tried prying away the claws from his ankle, but those fingers were as strong as steel.

The thing dragged him down slowly, and he flailed his arms around to find something, anything to hold on to.

He didn't find anything. He was slowly getting nearer and nearer to the owner of those eyes.

…No! No! He didn't want that…! he thought in fear. He knew something bad would happen if he did that again!

Wait, again…? So he had done it before…?

…He couldn't remember…

His mind was getting numb because of the lack of oxygen. He stopped struggling, and let his arms dangle above his head. He opened his mouth, and saw silvery bubbles escape his lungs and float upwards, although he didn't swallow water. He was just…empty.

He let the thing drag him down in those unknown depths.

"NORGE!"

A hand grabbed his, and held on tightly.

What…?

His head snapped up, and suddenly he could breathe again. He saw a hand coming from above him. Someone was…saving him…? He couldn't make out the features of that person, he only could see the lower half of his face. The somebody called out to him again. "Norge, wake up already, dammit!"

That voice was so familiar… The grasp on his ankle tightened, and the hand started pulling harder. He grasped onto the hand of the unknown person, and held on tightly.

The thing in the abyss under him got angry, and howled as his grip weakened. Slowly, very slowly, he started going up again, pulled by the other person.

He grabbed the arm of the stranger with two hands, and so did the unknown man. The black hand abruptly let go, snarling with rage, his prey lost. The sudden lack of an opposite strength made him shoot up in the air. Wait, where did the water go…?

He was soaring upwards, and he vaguely saw the stranger in the distance, down below him. He was looking up, smirking…

All of the sudden he recognised him, and murmured his name. "…Mathias…?"

And then, flying upwards, he broke the surface.

* * *

His eyes hurt so much.

It was worse than last time it had happened. Back then Lukas had frozen his eyes, and it had hurt. A lot. His vision had blurred, and it had felt like his eyeballs were on fire.

But after they had thawed out, he could see again. His eyesight had worsened a lot, but he could see, at least.

Now his eyes were wounded. He didn't know how bad it was, actually. He only knew that the pain reached deep inside his skull.

He surrendered himself to the idea he would never be able to see again.

He would be blind forever. He wouldn't be able to see colours anymore. No blue, no green, no red… Only now he realized what a great gift the eyesight actually was. He would never see Tino's face again…

Berwald sighed, bringing a hand up to his bandaged face. He touched the fabric softly, but nonetheless he hissed as the brief contact hurt a lot.

He brought his hand down, and felt the space around him. He guessed he had been brought to the dining cave again, after Bella had disinfected and wrapped his face. Mostly because of the chilly air (the temperature was still a bit lower than normal, even if Ludwig had told him the ice had crumbled and disappeared) and because he was sitting on a soft sofa.

Someone nearby was breathing deeply, as if sound asleep.

Who was it? Berwald tentatively extended one hand, reaching to where the sound was coming from. He touched wood, so it was the table. Wait, was the person lying on the table? Like with Francis…

He stood up, moving both hands now and careful not to hit anything. Moving in complete darkness was difficult, after all.

Why was the surface of the table wet? He heard dripping noises. He felt around more, even if he probably already guessed who it was. He touched a face, and his fingers immediately went cold. As if he had just touched a lump of ice. And then he found something covering half of the face: a mask.

Yes, it was Lukas already.

So if he had been laid down here, did it mean Feliciano had cured him?

While he was touching the Norwegian's face, Berwald felt him frown, and then he heard a crack. Lukas' face and hair were all wet, probably because of the ice melting. So he was definitely healing…!

Despite himself, he smiled. Mathias and Tino would be so happy…!

Suddenly he heard footsteps, shuffled ones, and laboured breathing. Was someone having difficulties walking?

"Wh''s th're?" Berwald asked, moving his head left and right out of habit, but of course not seeing anything.

He heard a soft groan, and the steps came nearer. Berwald got nervous, and took a step back, hitting the sofa with his heel. He still was moving his head to both sides frantically.

"Calm down, big guy, it's me…!" a recognizable voice wheezed.

Berwald frowned. "M'thias…? Yoo sh'uldn't w'lk 'round like th't! Your w'und…" He had heard from Bella that Mathias had gotten a pretty deep wound in his abdomen.

"Screw the wound! I had to check up on him, didn't I? So…Feliciano cured him…?" Disbelief tainted the Dane's words.

The Swede nodded slowly, moving his hands behind himself to find the sofa again. When he touched the fabric of the sofa, he sat down. "Hn."

* * *

Mathias looked down at the Norwegian that was lying on the table. Unlike with Francis, he hadn't been strapped with leather belts. Now that they knew Feliciano could fully heal them, it didn't look necessary.

Lukas was lying in a puddle of water, almost literally. His clothes were soaking wet, as was his hair. From the table water kept falling in big fat drops, which pooled under the table. The Norwegian's tail rested half on the table and half on the ground, also wet.

Mathias hissed as his stitched abdomen burned in pain, and he gripped the edge of the table to stand straight. He looked up at Berwald, who had sat down.

His face had been cleaned up from the blood, and now many gauzes covered the upper half of his face. The Dane's stomach churned as he noticed they were stained red from the blood. He honestly didn't want to know how the Swede was feeling. Not only would the wound would hurt, and his eyes, but the mere though of being…blind…unsettled him.

He looked at Lukas again. The armour on his abdomen had cracked because of the explosion, but now it was cracking in other places as well, like what happened to Francis. It wasn't coated in ice anymore and was becoming brittle. Suddenly a loud snap echoed through the cave, and Mathias' eyes widened as the tail landed on the floor with a thud. Nothing happened for a few seconds, and then out of nowhere it crumbled into dust.

"Wh't was th't?" Berwald asked.

Mathias blinked. "Norge's tail fell off…and crumbled into dust."

The Swede's eyebrows shot up, but it must have hurt because he winced, bringing them down immediately.

Then the sound of many cracks filled the cave, as the rest armour crumbled away as well.

What was left on the table was a Norwegian man, soaking wet and with tattered clothes. But human.

Mathias' eyes somehow started filling up with tears. "Norge…!" He turned his head to the Swede, knowing that he couldn't see. "Sve! He's n-normal again!" his voice cracked a little.

'Sve' nodded, looking relieved. He smiled, actually smiled a genuine smile. Mathias' hadn't used their stupid nicknames ever since Lukas had turned into a RED. The fact that he had called him and Lukas 'Norge' and 'Sve' was a very good sign.

Mathias was openly crying out of joy now, petting Lukas' wet hair. He chuckled, and that simple action caused him to wince, his abdomen reminding him that he was wounded. He didn't care, and smiled.

He stopped smiling as the Norwegian's serene face turned into a scowl. Like he was having a nightmare. The Dane frowned. That had happened to Francis too, he remembered. So he tried to wake him up.

"Norge…! Norge, wake up." he called out to him, moving his shoulders. He gained no reaction, however. Lukas was frowning deeply and grimacing, as if fighting something.

"M'thias…" Berwald muttered, standing up, worried because of the Dane's reaction.

"_Norge!_" He now was slamming Lukas' shoulders up and down against the table.

The Norwegian winced, before his face became serene again, exhaling. His body went even limper than before. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong. He had stopped breathing.

"NORGE!" Mathias slapped him across the cheek, almost panicking.

Lukas' mouth opened, inhaling sharply. He breathed again, and his body tensed up, but still his eyes refused to open. Berwald was standing awkwardly beside the table, not knowing what to do.

The Dane was relieved for a second, and then slapped Lukas across the cheek repeatedly. "Norge, wake up already, dammit!"

Finally, Lukas' eyes shot open, inhaling sharply yet again. He sat up, coughing. Mathias was beyond happiness. Too many emotions filled his chest, all confused. Happiness, joy, relief… His legs buckled under him, and he fell on his knees.

Berwald was smiling again, and after a few attempts, found Lukas' shoulders. He held them up, while the Norwegian was coughing.

"…M-Mathias…?" He managed to say between the coughs. "…Berwald?"

The Dane smiled widely, still crying. "Yea Norge. Welcome back."

* * *

_…Some hours later, many kilometres away…_

A white haired man sat upon a pile of rubble, scanning his surroundings.

He sighed, going with a clawed hand trough his hair. Where were they? It was almost noon. He had arrived there a bit later himself, he admitted it, but the others…Okay, maybe the Spaniard could be late, but Lukas was usually as accurate as a freaking Swiss clock. Gilbert furrowed his eyebrows. It actually was really extraordinary for the Norwegian to be late.

Suddenly he heard someone approaching, and he turned his head. He smirked, recognizing the man, although it was not the one he had expected.

**"Yo, Antonio! Where have you been? Did you start digging a gold mine or something? You're ****_late_****!" **Gilbert chuckled, standing up and folding his arms.

Antonio neared him, and shook his head. **"I'm sorry…no, no mines, but I ****_did_**** find some gold…!" **he said, his eyes glinting in delight, holding up a golden pocket watch for the albino to see. It looked like one of those turnips (was that how they were called?) of the previous century, or even the one before that.

**"Toni, where did you even get that? It's museum rubbish!" **Gilbert smirked, mocking the Spaniard. He reached out for it to take a better look, but Antonio immediately retracted the hand, clutching the golden object to his chest.

**"****_…Mine._****" **He hissed.

Gilbert raised his hands in defeat, stepping back. **"Whoa, chill, Toni! I wasn't going to take that from you…!"**

The Spaniard did not react, and put the watch carefully in his pocket and patting it. **"…Where is Lukas?"**

**"I was just about to ask you if you had seen him. I take that you didn't?" **The albino asked.

Antonio shrugged. **"No."**

Gilbert cupped his chin, thoughtful. **"Strange. Lukas is always on time. Always. Even if it's just to rub it in that ****_we_**** are always late. And I didn't find Francis, that ****_Arschloch_****."**

The Spaniard nodded. **"I didn't find any trace of Francis either."**

**"He probably died in a ditch somewhere."**

**"Wait…!" **Antonio's eyes widened. **"What if Lukas' city was the one Francis disappeared in, so he disappeared too?"**

Gilbert grimaced. **"****_Sheiße_****. Then we would be in trouble. Big fucking unawesome trouble"**

**"But we would have found the city…! And…" **Antonio refused to say the word 'Master' if not forced to, **"…****_he_**** said that maybe the disappearances have something to do with the mistake he is always ranting about…"**

**"Good point, Toni! You're awesome! Not as awesome as me, mind you. But still! So…what should we do?" **

Antonio shrugged, pointing out he had no idea.

The albino huffed. **"Maybe…maybe we should go check that city too… We could find Francis or Lukas!"  
"Or disappear like they did." **The Spaniard mumbled.

**"Uh, er… shit. But maybe we could trace them! We have a pretty astounding noses, don't we?" **

Antonio's eyes narrowed. **"No, it would be useless. Francis' trail would have disappeared altogether by now, and you forgot Lukas' habit of coating himself in ice. He leaves no scent at all."**

**"Dang it. I guess we'll have to head back and inform Master about Lukas' disappearance then…"**

**"He'll be angry." **The Spaniard murmured, frowning.

Gilbert shivered. **"Hell yes, he will…but he'll also know what to do next, don't you think?"**

The man just shrugged again, and Gilbert started walking.

**"Well then, it's settled! Let's go back. Oh!" **the German suddenly remembered something. **"Did you by any chance eat, along the way? Just so I know."** He remembered he should stay wary of the Spaniard whenever he was hungry.

Antonio nodded slowly, walking past Gilbert. **"…****_Sí_****… I ate a snack on the way here…" **the albino, walking behind the Spaniard, saw him absentmindedly caress the pocket in which he had put away the golden watch.

…He now had the smallest intuition where Antonio had gotten that object from.

**"…****_Gut_****. Let's go then."**

* * *

**guys! O_O 6000 views! 123 reviews! and all the new faves, and follows! YAAAY! you have NO idea how happy this makes me!**

**Thank you all so much! you are AWESOME U_U**

**as always, i will update on friday, or the days pior to that one ^^**

**have a nice sunday! :D**

_**Nee :**__ (dutch) no_

**_Lort : _**_(danish) shit_

**_Arschloch :_**_ (german) asshole_

**_Sheiße : _**_(german) shit_

**_Sí : _**_(spanish) yes_

**_Gut :_**_ (german) good_


	22. Buonanotte, fiorellino

**ERMEGUD i totally forgot to put a disclaimer! alright here it goes!**

_**Disclaimer : I do NOT own Hetalia or any of its characters. This disclaimer is valid for all the chapters previous to this one and the ones to come.**_

_**What I DO own are : This plot, Nightmares, REDs, my drawings and the Rock.**_

**okay, done ^^ **

**Hi guys! im back again! **

**(to Kylie : No, i'm sorry, but Sealand won't be in the story...!)**

**GAH! we're already at the 22nd chapter?! DD: i didn't even think it would get this long, honestly! i think we're somewhere over the half of the plot, something like 60% done... **

**i again have to thank you all for the wonderful reviews! you are so AWESOME...! and it makes me so happy knowing that people like my story!**

**(we reached 6500 views, people! 135 reviews! 43 followers and 38 favourites! :D :D thank you all SO much)**

**i know i didn't give Ludwig and Feli much space, but i will get to it, don't worry :P it's just that i have to focus on other characters and their relationships at the moment! And they. Are. So. MANY. RAAAH! I honestly am surprised i can handle them all! (not really, since i forgot about alfred in one chapter...WTF)**

**author's rant is done, you can continue reading peacefully. this chapter is a bit depressing in some moments, please bear with me!**

**ENJOY**

* * *

Lukas was still coughing, as the rest of the Rock gang who wasn't busy came rushing in. Which consisted in a very worried Fin, an American and a German. Bella and Kiku were still looking after Arthur, and Romano was watching over a feverish and knocked out cold Feliciano. Francis was nowhere in sight.

"Mathias! You shouldn't be walking around!" Tino said, hurrying to the Dane's side. Sure enough, said Dane was kneeling down, a hand covering his bleeding abdomen.

"_Idiootti_…" the Fin said, but then he saw Lukas, who had moved to the side to the table with the help of Berwald.

"Dude…he just healed too!" Alfred exclaimed, pointing at the Norwegian who had in the meantime stopped coughing. He looked up to their faces, eyes wide. He stared at every single one of them, one by one. A tall blond and kind of looking pissed off German. A hyperactive and loud, also blond, American. A wide-eyed Fin, trying to help up Mathias while staring up at him. A smile appeared on Tino's face, as his eyes started watering.

"Lukas? Is that really you?"

Lukas opened his mouth to answer, but couldn't find his voice. He was tackle-hugged by Tino, who cried out in joy. "It really is you! You were cured!" Lukas winced, his shoulder and the left side of his chest hurt a little…

The Norwegian did not return the hug, he was just…too stunned. He looked down behind the Fin's back. Why was Mathias kneeling down, anyway?

Said Dane was helped up by the noisy American, and Lukas' eyes widened even more (if that was possible).

Red was staining Mathias' hands, and bandages covering the lower half of his torso were drenched in blood.

"Dude! Tino's right, man! You shouldn't walk in these conditions!"

Tino released the tight hug, and turned to Mathias again. "You idiot!" he started ranting and lecturing the Dane, but Lukas did not hear a single word of it.

"Norge, are you alright?" Mathias wheezed, noticing he was staring at his bandages. Lukas snapped out of it, and looked at the Dane. He grimaced. Why wasn't he worrying about himself, the idiot…? Suddenly all the memories of what had happened in that whole year came crashing down on him. His hands started shaking.

"…Norge…?"

He abruptly turned away from the people in front of him, only to be facing Berwald. A blindfolded Berwald.

More memories, and the look on his face became even more horrified. The Swede seemed to have sensed something was wrong. "L'kas?" he stretched his hand out.

Lukas couldn't take it.

He couldn't face them.

He jumped off the table and ran away, without really looking where he was going, and ignoring the surprised cries behind him.

* * *

Agh, he had done it again.

It wasn't really his intention doing it like that, but apparently it had worked! At least now Tino's friend would be cured.

But now he was on fire again…  
Even if it looked like if burned less, this time, he still didn't feel good. At all. He was in the dark again, his heart and hand burning hot.

He was like that for a while, alone.

But suddenly, he heard a voice.

_…Buonanotte, buonanotte amore mio,  
buonanotte tra il telefono e il cielo…_

…What was that?

A song… such a sad song… And he had heard it before, too.

Having had memory loss was such a pain…!

The song was supposed to be a waltz, but the voice was singing it like a lullaby. In both cases it was sad… and melancholic. But it was comforting, in his darkness and burning state.

_…Buonanotte, buonanotte, fiorellino,  
buonanotte tra le stelle e la stanza…  
…per sognarti devo averti vicino,  
e vicino non è ancora abbastanza…_

The voice had skipped some lines…!

Or hadn't he heard them…? And how did he know that?

Too many questions. The song continued, and hushed him up. He listened, and the burning sensation in his chest cooled down a little.

_…Buonanotte, buonanotte, monetina,  
buonanotte tra il mare e la pioggia…  
…la tristezza passerà domattina,  
e l'anello resterà sulla spiaggia…_

Hugh, Feliciano felt like crying. It was so melancholic…

His burning ache cooled down even more. His hand and heart didn't hurt that much anymore…

Wait. He suddenly realized something.

…Was that _Romano_ singing?

* * *

Lukas ran the fastest he had ever run in his whole life. He had to escape from them. From Tino. From Berwald. From… he grimaced. …Mathias.

He stumbled, his balance unstable. Mostly because he had lost his…tail.

He shook his head while running God knows where. He was currently in another cave, who had a gaping hole in the ceiling, showing it was almost dawn. But he didn't notice that. He was thinking about something else completely.

_He_ had done that to them! He, Lukas! He remembered every detail, every smell, every sound…

His stomach churned, and he almost tripped on his own feet, as he remembered every _taste_ he had experienced that year. Oh no. No…nonono. It took all his willpower not to throw up right there on the spot.

Nobody was following him. Why though, he didn't know.

And honestly, he was glad for that. He continued running.

He ended up in a much more darker cave, with a sound of water streaming somewhere. Somehow, he could still see pretty well in the dark. Not that he wanted that. And not that he was really looking where he was running. This fact was proven as he put his foot in the stream of water, and tripped, losing balance yet again.

The Norwegian cried out in surprise when it happened, and he hit the ground, both of his legs in the stream, while his torso rested on solid, dry rock.

He groaned, as he scrambled up slowly. He was weak, and the wounds in his chest and shoulder did not really help. He was also wet from head to toe, probably because of the…the ice on him melting before. He limped a little, as he continued walking, but he soon found a dead end.

He stood, not believing it, in front of the rocky wall. "No…" He whispered, as he heard footsteps nearing. "…No!" he banged his fists against the wall. "No, no, no!" He didn't want to see them! He needed to get out of there! He wouldn't be able to bear just looking at their faces…

Forearms pressed against the wall, he slowly slid down, weakness getting the better of him. He heard their voices now, calling to him and echoing through the caves. "…Lukas!"

He turned, sitting down, his back pressed against the rock. "No! Don't come here!" he shouted.

The footsteps and voices stopped. He heard murmurs. "But…"

"_Go away!_" he yelled, grabbing his head with both hands and closing his eyes.

He heard murmurs again. Then a voice he hadn't heard before. "Let me handle this, Tino."

"Huh?! Oh, so you were_ here_ all the time! But…!"

"Please, Tino?"  
Nothing happened for a few seconds, but then he heard footsteps leaving.

Silence then fell. Lukas was hyperventilating, memories flashing before his eyes. So much blood…!

He heard someone nearing, but he didn't even look up. "Go away!" He repeated, eyes shut. No use, when he closed his eyes he would still see those dreadful memories… actually, they were more vivid.

"Lukas, calm down." The stranger said.

"How can you say that?! How can I calm down?!" The Norwegian shouted, finally looking up. "Do you even know-!" he stopped midsentence.

Francis sat down before him, cross-legged. "I do know, actually." He smiled weakly. Lukas noticed his eyes were glowing in the dark cave.

Lukas breathed a deep, dry sob, tears finally streaming down his cheeks. "Francis…? I…I-I…"

"I know." Francis said, moving closer and pulling him into a hug. "I know."  
The Norwegian couldn't take it anymore, and had a major break down, crying out as silently as he could and sobbing into the Frenchman's shirt.

After half an hour, all tears seemed to have flowed out of his eyes. He couldn't shed one more single tear. Lukas hiccupped, releasing the hug.

"_Takk_…" he whispered, looking away from Francis. The Frenchman saw he was still thinking about what they had done those past months.

"Hey. Pull yourself together."

Lukas turned to look at the Frenchman again. "But…" he covered his face with a hand. "What I've done…horrible…"  
Francis put a comforting hand on the Norwegian's shoulder. "I've gone through that too. I remember it all as well. But…" he sighed. "You won't get anywhere if you keep blaming and pitying yourself."

Lukas was about to complain, glaring, but Francis stopped him by bringing up a hand.

"I _know_ what we've done. I know what we were thinking. But it's the past. It hurts, but…you have to focus on the present. I don't ask you to forget those things, I don't think it's possible, honestly. However…" he paused, thinking. "…I chose to focus on the present, focus on my newfound friends, and on the possibility of saving the future. It keeps my mind busy, and it helps me forgiving myself a bit, as I'm trying to fix what I've done."

Lukas didn't answer, and let his head hang.

"You remember the 'mistake'?"

The Norwegian nodded. That auburn haired boy...

"That's who I'm focusing most on at the moment. He has the extraordinaire gift of curing Nightmares and, well, us." Francis paused. "He's the best, and probably last hope of this ruined world. And I will do _everything_ that is in my power to save him, or the other members of this bizarre gang, from any harm. That's what I chose to live for, the moment I stopped pitying myself."

Another pause, and Francis stood up.

"Find something to live for, or otherwise you'll probably kill yourself."  
He started walking away, as Lukas' head snapped up to look at him. He couldn't find anything to say. His head was still too confused and filled with dreadful images.

Before Francis left the cave, however, he stopped, as if remembering something.

"There's another reason why I carry on. Arthur wouldn't forgive me if I killed myself," he chuckled weakly "…and he probably would jump into whatever hellhole I'd gotten into just to give me a good scold, before dragging me back to the world of the living. Live on…for Mathias."

Then he left.

Lukas was left alone with himself. He was still too confused. Images flashing through his head, and Francis' words ringing in his ears.

He looked around in the cave. He was all alone.

The gentle sound of running water finally reached his ears.

Somehow, the water stream looked so inviting…

He weakly stood up, and slowly walked to where said water was.

…

It would be much easier, and less painful, wouldn't it…?

...To end it all.

* * *

Feliciano heard Romano sing the song again. He was still floating in darkness, but now he didn't mind anymore. The burning sensation was slowly ebbing away, as the song continued, leaving only comforting warmth.

This time he heard the whole song, without interruptions.

_Buonanotte, buonanotte, amore mio.  
Buonanotte tra il telefono e il cielo.  
Ti ringrazio per avermi stupito,  
per avermi giurato che è vero.  
Il granturco nei campi è maturo,  
ed ho tanto bisogno di te.  
La coperta è gelata e l'estate è finita…  
Buonanotte, questa notte è per te._

_Buonanotte, buonanotte, fiorellino.  
Buonanotte tra le stelle e la stanza.  
Per sognarti devo averti vicino,  
e vicino non è ancora abbastanza.  
Ora un raggio di sole si è fermato,  
proprio sopra il mio biglietto scaduto.  
Tra i tuoi fiocchi di neve e le tue foglie di tè…  
Buonanotte, questa notte è per te._

_Buonanotte, buonanotte, monetina.  
Buonanotte tra il mare e la pioggia.  
La tristezza passerà domattina,  
e l'anello resterà sulla spiaggia…!  
Gli uccellini nel vento non si fanno mai male,  
hanno ali più grandi di me…!  
E dall'alba al tramonto sono soli nel sole…  
Buonanotte,  
questa notte è per te._

By the time Romano had finished the song, Feliciano was awake.

"Ve…" he murmured, opening his eyes "Romano, you can sing very good…!"

Romano wasn't expecting that, and he suddenly retracted the hand that had been resting on his head. "Agh! Don't scare me like that, idiot!"

Feliciano chuckled. "But it's true…"

"Wait. How can you be awake already?!" The older Italian wondered. "It's only been four hours!"

"Ve…?"

"How do you feel?"

The small Italian pouted, thinking. His hand throbbed a little, but for the rest he felt perfectly fine. "I feel fine!" he chirped.  
As Romano was muttering something to himself, Feliciano wanted to ask a question.

"_Fratellone_?"

"What."  
"What was that song you were singing earlier?"

Romano's head snapped sideways to look at him, surprised, but then his gaze softened. "Oh right. You don't remember shit, do you?"

"…"  
"…It's a lullaby our grandpa would sing to us. Mostly during thunderstorms, which you were scared shitless of."

Feliciano's eyes widened. He had a grandpa?! Well, of course he did, but… the thought just never had even crossed his mind before. He suddenly thought of his parents. He would have had those too, right?

"Romano… could you please tell me more about our family?"

Romano's eye twitched in annoyance. "No."  
"Pretty please?" Feliciano whined, sitting up.

"Hey! You shouldn't move yet!" The older Italian tried to get him down again.

Feliciano's eyes twinkled. "Only if you tell me."

Romano grumbled, and then groaned. "You know what? Whatever."  
"Yay!"

Romano grumbled again. "It's not that much of a story, though. When I was two, you were born. We lived in Italy somewhere near Rome, with our parents. Their names were Lucia and Renzo. When I was five and you three, they died in a car accident."

Feliciano gasped. So bluntly said…!

The older Italian noticed his brother's reaction. "Don't even remember them that well. They were nice parents, but… Anyway, we were later taken care of by our _nonno_. He was still pretty young, so he could take it, both the stress and the economic weight we were. He was our _real_ father." Romano paused. "His name was Romulus, but he preferred to be called Rome, or, by us, Nonno Roma. Tch. The old man was way too full of himself. And way too obsessed with Roman history."

Feliciano had a vague memory. He remembered the song, sung by a male, baritone voice. But otherwise, nothing. He suddenly had a déjà-vu as he was afraid to ask the next question. "So… what happened to _nonno_…?"

Romano looked at his brother. "He died before the Disaster, because… because of a stupid heart attack. I warned that old geezer so many times not to eat that much _tiramisù_."

Feliciano felt relieved, mostly because he hadn't been killed or turned into a Nightmare, and then guilty. He had forgotten all about him, as well! Just like with his brother. He needed to know more, so he asked.  
"There is nothing more to tell, really. He loved wine, women, cooking, eating. I actually am surprised he didn't become obese. His favourite food was _tiramisù, _and the maniac was always putting basil in every dish he made. He had filled our house with dozens of basil plants."

The younger Italian's eyes widened. …Basil…?!

So that was who the basil always reminded him of! He smiled a little, a warm feeling blooming in his chest. At least he did remember _something_. "_Nonno…_"

He then moved to sit up again.

"What the flying fuck, Feli?! You said you wouldn't move!"

Feliciano stuck his tongue out, sitting and ready to stand up. "I did, when you were telling me, ve!"

"Tch. Fine! Just so you know, if you collapse somewhere I am definitely not bringing you to bed, you hear me?!"

* * *

_…Some hours later, at noon…_

Tino wiped his forehead, which was beaded with sweat.

Finally, Arthur was out of life danger. For the moment.

Kiku had found a way to bandage the Brit so the air would be able to get out of the wound, and not let air or blood into the lung. Arthur was currently still lying on the table in his own medical room. He was dreadfully pale, but his pulse and breathing had stabilized.

Tino sighed, as he walked slowly to the dining cave. All he was wishing for was a comfortable seat, now. He still was worried for Lukas, he had sounded so desperate, so torn…

He sighed yet again, and he entered the cave. He looked around. Some people were obviously missing, like Arthur or Mathias. The Dane had been tied down to his bed, mostly because he was constantly trying to get up and walk to Lukas, worsening his already pretty bad conditions. Because of his little trip to go and see Lukas, some hours before, had almost ripped open the stitches, that idiot.

The others were all busy doing something.

Berwald was just sitting on a couch, trying not to bore himself to death, mostly listening to the others talking. Bella was cooking something, along with Romano, which Tino thought it was strange. Why wasn't he with Feliciano? Kiku was reading a book (where he got those from, Tino would never know), while Alfred was constantly interrupting him by saying something, as Berwald would usually put it, 'stoopid'. However, when the topic fell on horror movies or games, it seemed to click, as the Japanese knew all too much about them.

Francis was paying a solitaire at the table, but seemed stuck. Tino's eyebrows shot up in surprise as he saw Ludwig, talking (more listening) to a ranting Feliciano. How could he already have recovered? Last time he had been knocked out for 24 hours or so…

"Hey, _ciao_ Tino!" The Italian waved at him, beckoning him over.

"Feliciano?" The Fin asked, pretty surprised, as he stepped closer.

Ludwig shook his head. "_Ja_, we were all surprised. But it seems Feliciano's body is…getting used to the infection. He woke up after only four hours or something."

Tino smiled, happy. "Really? I'm happy for you, Feli!" The time he had dealt with Francis' infection, it had looked like he was close to dying. So it was a really big relief, actually.

Bella and Romano started cursing at each other, mainly because Bella thought Romano had exaggerated with the pepper. Alfred was shivering near a calm Kiku, probably because of the plot of a horror movie.

Feliciano turned to look at Francis. "Ve, Francis!"

Francis was bending the corner of one of the cards, eyes looking at the game but actually thinking something else. "Hm?"

"Where's Lukas? Tino's, Berwald's and Mathias' friend? I heard that I cured him, right?"

Francis sighed, sitting back and flipping the card he had through his fingers. "_Oui_, he was cured. But he needs time to think, on his own. We just have to wait, I suppose."

Tino frowned, was he really sure? The Norwegian had sounded desperate, when he had yelled at them.

He just hoped nothing would happen at him, and that he wouldn't do anything stupid.

"OI, shitheads! Lunch is ready!"

* * *

Mathias struggled in his binds. "_Fanden!_" he cussed. Ludwig was pretty good at tying knots, and so he was stuck on the mattress. He moved until one of the many ropes brushed on his abdomen, and the Dane hissed instantly.

He was worried about Lukas. He had heard his shouts all the way over there, so it was only natural. Why wasn't he here?! Why wouldn't anybody bother to untie him?!

"God damn it! Stupid ropes!" he cursed, starting to struggle again.

"You are going to open up your wound again like this, _din idiot_." A familiar voice said.

"Whu?" Mathias craned his neck to look over at the entrance of the room.

"You look like a complete idiot, you know that?" Lukas said, arms folded on his chest, standing in the doorway.

* * *

_**Brace yourselves, this is going to be a long note.**_

**GAAAH! why does this feel like a filler?! ;_;**

**and yay! lukas didn't kill himself!**

**i just love imagining francis (and lukas, now, too) with NEON eyes hahaha! :D if you're asking yourself why Lukas didn't recognize Francis' voice, i have to remind you that when they were REDs their voices were distorted...!**

******about the missing character, seeing that 90% of you guessed him, i will openly reveal who he is! **

*******dramatic pause* Iceland, otherwise known as Emil Steilsson!(not Bondevik, even if he is Lukas' brother, because as far as i know icelandic naming sistem is STRANGE ._.)**

******as always, i will upload this friday! see you! ;)**

******...**

**This. Song. ARGH! i love it so much. i highly recommend it, and if you are in the mood, try listening to it during the chapter! **

**Its very short, only 2 minutes, so i ask you to please try and listen to it, it's beautiful. here below i wrote the lyrics and translated them ^.^**

**Title of the song: Buonanotte fiorellino**

**Artist : Francesco de Gregori**

**video on youtube: **

**/watch?v=wWJvhU2WOfY**

**_Buonanotte, buonanotte, amore mio. _**___(Goodnight, goodnight, my love)_**_  
Buonanotte tra il telefono e il cielo. _**___(Goodnight between the phone and the sky)_**_  
Ti ringrazio per avermi stupito, _**___(Thank you for having amazed me)_**_  
per avermi giurato che è vero. _**___(For having sweared it was true)_**_  
Il granturco nei campi è maturo, _**___(The sweet corn in the fields is ripe)_**_  
ed ho tanto bisogno di te. _**___(And i really need you)_**_  
La coperta è gelata e l'estate è finita… _**___(The blanket is cold and the summer is over)_**_  
Buonanotte, questa notte è per te._**_ (Goodnight, this night is for you)_

**_Buonanotte, buonanotte, fiorellino. _**_(Goodnight, goodnight little flower)_**_  
Buonanotte tra le stelle e la stanza. _**_(Goodnight between the stars and the room)_**_  
Per sognarti devo averti vicino, _**_(To dream of you I need you close)_**_  
e vicino non è ancora abbastanza._**_ (And close is still not enough)_**_  
Ora un raggio di sole si è fermato,_**_ (Now a sun ray has stopped)_**_  
proprio sopra il mio biglietto scaduto. _**_(Right on my expired ticket)_**_  
Tra i tuoi fiocchi di neve e le tue foglie di tè… _**_(Between your snowflakes and your tealeaves)_**_  
Buonanotte, questa notte è per te. _**_(Goodnight, this night is for you)_

**_Buonanotte, buonanotte, monetina. _**_(Goodnight, goodnight, little coin)_**_  
Buonanotte tra il mare e la pioggia. _**_(Goodnight between the sea and the rain)_**_  
La tristezza passerà domattina, _**_(The sadness will be over tomorrow morning)_**_  
e l'anello resterà sulla spiaggia…! _**_(And the ring will rest on the beach)_**_  
Gli uccellini nel vento non si fanno mai male,_**_ (Little birds never hurt themselves in the wind)_**_  
hanno ali più grandi di me…! _**_(They have wings bigger than me)_**_  
E dall'alba al tramonto sono soli nel sole… _**_(And from the dawn to the sunset they are alone in the sun)_**_  
Buonanotte,  
questa notte è per te. _**_(Goodnight, this night is for you)_

**_..._**

**___Idiootti : _**___(finnish) idiot_

___**Takk : **(norwegian) thanks  
_

**___Fratellone :_**___ (italian) big brother_

**___Nonno :_**___ (italian) grandpa_

**___Tiramisù : _**___Italian dessert based on Mascarpone(some kind of cream), Savoiardi('finger' biscuits), coffee, cocoa and occasionally rhum._

**___Fanden :_**___ (danish) dammit! (lit. 'hell')_

**___Din idiot :_**___ (norwegian) you idiot_

**___-Random fact is Random - Feliciano's and Romano's parents are named after the main characters of an important Italian literature novel , known as "I promessi Sposi" (The Betrothed) by Alessandro Manzoni: Lucia Mondella and Renzo (Lorenzo) Tramaglino._**

**___ I originally wanted to name them Romeo and Giulietta (SOO ORIGINAL) but then i noticed that almost all their names began with ROM- (ROMulus, ROMeo, ROMano)... at least now they only begin with R!_**


	23. Soccer

**Hey guys! I just ate some pasta, so i'm pumped! PASTAAAA!**

**ahem**

**this chapter is less dramatic/serious than the previous one, but still contains some CLUUUEEEES...!**

**it's up to you! ^^**

**(warning, this chapter contains jumps! lots of them!)**

**anyway! please sit back und**

**ENJOY**

* * *

"Norge! Oh, joy! I was soooo worried! I heard you yell, and those meanies tied me down!" Mathias pouted.

"Stop jerking around, you idiot." Lukas sighed, coming nearer and sitting beside him. "You'll tear right through the stitches."

Mathias stopped moving, and looked at the Norwegian. His eyes were swollen, as if he had just cried a lot, but he had put on his everlasting poker face again. He then noticed the bloodstained fabric of Lukas' tattered clothes. And was he still wet?

"Norge, I think you should visit Bella and Tino so they patch you up a little. And you should get some new and dry clothes, otherwise you'll catch a cold!" The Dane smirked.

Lukas raised an eyebrow, and then sighed. "Idiot."

"Hey! You've said it three times in two minutes already! Be nicer, will ya?" Mathias pouted again, and would have folded his arms if they weren't tied down. But he was actually glad. Lukas calling him an idiot was a daily occurrence, so it meant he was alright. Much better than the horrified Lukas who had run away like that hours earlier.

"Hey Norge."

"What."

Mathias smiled a warm smile. "I'm glad you're back. And I see that you still have that hairclip."

Lukas raised a hand without thinking, to touch the cross-shaped clip on the side of his head. Mathias had given it to him as a gift, more than a year ago… such sweet memories. The Norwegian cracked the smallest smile. "_Ja_. I still have it."

An awkward silence fell. Minutes crept by, without any of them speaking. They just sat there, both looking at each other.

Finally, Lukas broke the silence. "Mathias, I want to say-"

Mathias interrupted him. "Don't say anything."

The Norwegian blinked, taken aback. "Bu-"

"You don't have to apologize for anything. Arthur told me what happened to Francis when he sealed his deal. It wasn't your fault, the Nightmare tricked you."

Lukas wanted to speak, but again he was interrupted.

"Really, don't. I was the weak one, I couldn't stop you or save you."

The Norwegian shut his mouth, silent. "Hm."

Mathias looked away, staring at the ceiling. "Huff, I can't wait for the moment this is all over. I mean, this crazy apocalypse thing probably will never end, even with someone like Feliciano… But you know what I mean. Sometimes I wish we could all just go drink beer again! You, me, Sve and Fin!" he sighed, closing his eyes and smiling longingly. "I miss beer, especially my dear _Tuborg Guld_. And the times we all got so drunk we couldn't walk or see straight anymore…! Do you remember that time, in _København? _When that crazy Pole showed up out of nowhere, dead-drunk, and wanted to paint the whole bar pink? Hahaha!" he turned to look, now smirking, at Lukas, whose eye was twitching. "And it was hilarious when he managed to put you and Sve into those ballerina outfi-"

Lukas punched him hard, the Dane's head almost disappearing in the pillow. The Norwegian's eyebrow was twitching in annoyance and there was a small tear in the corner of his eyes, but he was smiling. "You idiot."

A croak came from the imploded pillow, where the Norwegian's punch still was keeping Mathias' head down. "_And that makes it four…! And no fair, Norge! I can't defend myself!_"

* * *

The next days passed without anything relevant happening.

Lukas was introduced to all the Rock inhabitants, who gladly accepted him, even Ludwig. The only problem was the number of mattresses, and the food.

As Berwald was blinded and Mathias was unavailable, Kiku and Ludwig had to face the perspective of having to make extra trips to the city.

However, having more people at the Rock had also its benefits. Alfred offered to go as well, as did Francis, Romano, Lukas and Feliciano. But Feliciano was prevented from going by everyone, especially by Romano, Ludwig and…Francis, for some reason.

"You're not going out there!" Romano said, folding his arms.

"But whyyyy? Ve, I want to help too!"  
"Feli, not more than two weeks ago you didn't even want to get outside. Why do you want now?" Ludwig asked.

Feliciano shrugged. "I don't know… But I want to help!"

"You can help by staying right here, got that, peabrain?" Romano said, taking the small Italian by his shoulders and steering him to the nearest couch.

"But, Romanoooo!"

"No buts, _mon ami_. I agree with them." Francis said, pushing Feliciano so he plopped onto the sofa. "Stay here_, s'il vous plaît_."

Feliciano pouted, folding his arms. "It's not fair."

"See if I care. Now let's go, potato bastard! You too, French pervert." Romano grumbled, striding away.

"Le boo…! Why do you call me that? I'm no pervert…!" Francis complained, following the grumpy Italian.

Ludwig still stood there. "Really, Feliciano. You should stay here, it's safer."

"_Va bene…_" Feliciano mumbled, still pouting. He looked like a child whenever he did that, and a cute one, for that matter.

The German left, following the other two out of the cave.

Arthur was still recovering, but had regained consciousness at last. Someone had to keep constant watch over him, and Bella, Tino, Kiku and Lukas were covering that with shifts . As soon as he had woken up, Arthur had busied himself with his wounds and the ones of the others. He would explain how to treat them properly to Tino or Bella, and they would do whatever he said. He gave directions especially for Berwald's eyes and his own punctured lung and broken ribs, and luckily they were both faring pretty well. Lukas' and Mathias' wounds weren't as critic or difficult to deal with like the other ones, but still the Brit would insist on dealing with them.

One day he gave astounding news, while observing carefully as Tino undid Berwald's bandages. "Berwald, I think I have good news for you…" both blondes turned to face him, Tino raising his eyebrows. "Your body has dealt fairly good with those nasty scratches, and as soon as I've recovered a little more, I think…I could give you your eyesight back."

Needless to say that that evening they all were celebrating.

* * *

_…Somewhere else…_

**"One job. I gave you. One. Job. And what happened? I did not lose one of my men, oh no. ****_Two_**** of my best men vanished into thin air!" **the voice bellowed loudly to two shadows, who were just managing not to tremble on the spot. The voice's tone dropped to a mere whisper, which was, if possible, more terrifying. **"What do you two have to say to justify yourselves…?"**

The shadows didn't answer, and the voice roared in rage.

Half an hour later, the two shadows were limping to their respecting resting places.

**"Kesesesese! Master has gotten soft. Last time he beat me up I couldn't walk for two days!" **the lighter shadow sniggered.

The other one shook his head. **"That was only because last time you provoked him."**

**"Ha! Whatever. Anyway, why does he need ****_us_****? He has an army of Nightmares out there, just waiting for his orders. And he lets us do all the dirty work for him. So un-awesome. You know what? Whatever. I'm hitting the sack. ****_Guten nacht_****, Toni!"**

**"****_…Buenas noches._****" **Antonio said, walking/limping to his own place.

He liked his place. Probably the only thing that could relax him a bit. _Or_ his constant hunger.

Must have been because it was filled with all kinds of treasures. Money, both in paper and coins, gold, gems and jewels were lying in scattered heaps all over the place. Countless different golden objects rested in that room, let it be rings, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, clocks, watches, cigarette cases, ingots, crucifixes, goblets, keys, pens, teeth…

When he walked in, his gaze softened, and he relaxed at the mere sight of the riches in front of him. His feet clinked against the cold metallic objects, and so did his hands, as he climbed onto one of the golden heaps. He nestled in the gold and jewels, looking like some kind of bizarre dragon from a fantasy story.

Antonio fished his latest achievement, the golden watch, from his pocket. He looked up at it, hypnotized by its dazzling colour and beauty. He then gently put it near him, between dozens of other valuables. Then he curled up, and closed his eyes, wanting to fall asleep as quickly as possible.

He didn't want to start remembering _that person_.

But he knew, deep down… that it was a lost battle.

* * *

_...The Rock..._

The following days were all peaceful. Mathias, Lukas, Arthur and Berwald were all steadily recovering from their respective injuries, much to everyone's delight.

On one of their journeys to the city, Alfred and Romano had found a small old supermarket beneath the rubble, which was extraordinaire news. Obviously most of the stuff had spoiled, but they could retrieve a lot of things nonetheless. They found the needed mattresses, soap, matches, toilet paper(you have no idea how important that is), and, most importantly, new clean bandages, disinfectant and canned food.

And, for some strange reason, the American had brought back a ball as well.

"Dude, if I play cards one more time I think I'll die of boredom!" was the explanation.

And so they started to play soccer as well, in the evenings. Which was a good thing, because the thrill of the game raised their spirits. Of course the injured ones couldn't play, but that didn't mean they couldn't watch, or cheer, by the sidelines. Or facepalm, mostly in Lukas' case.

"HEY! That was totally a foul!"

"Not true!"

"Come on guys, calm down!"  
"Kiku, you saw it, didn't you?"

"Er…"

"I didn't touch him!"

"…Idiots…"

"I don't think it was a foul…"  
"No way dude! That foul was as big as the friggin' Michigan lake, I saw it with my own eyes!"

"Guys, while you were distracted, Romano took the ball and scored."

"GOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAL!"

"Team Pasta 6, Team Hero 4!"  
"Romanoooooo! That's cheating!"  
"Shut up Feli! They were distracted, it's their fault!"

"Honhonhonhonhon, you will pay for that…!"

It went something like this most of the times.

One morning, after breakfast, Feliciano was sitting alone on one of the couches, reading one of Kiku's books. Ludwig came into the cave, carrying some bandages.

"Ve…? Ludwig, are those for Mathias? He just went to the mirror cave…"

The German shook his head, as he sat near Feliciano. "_Nein_. These are for you."

Feliciano blinked. "Eh?"

"Your hand, right?" Ludwig pointed to Feliciano's right hand. "Arthur told me he used to check it everyday. When was the last time you checked it?"

The Italian raised his hand, and observed it. "Ve…Last time was…" He thought a little. "After I cured Francis, I think!" The bandages were, indeed, filthy and a bit grimy, to say the least. They had become dirty grey , and a bit of orange had been smudged all over them, colour coming from the Rock's ground and walls.

Feliciano giggled, rubbing his head. "Hehehe! I guess I just forgot!"

Ludwig sighed, shaking his head. "Exactly." He started unwrapping the gauzes, and when they came off…

"Ve!?"

The white thing on his hand had not changed, it had not grown and was still glowing. His skin had become rough, his hands almost calloused, but that didn't really look important. However, one thing certainly was disturbing.

The skin near the white thing on the back of his hand was scaled.

They hadn't really spread that much, the scales only framed the thing in a thin line, but it was still troubling. Feliciano and Ludwig both observed the hand. The scales were very small and dark blue, and looked as if they were coming from inside the hand. From…the white thing.

"L-Ludwig, what is this?" Feliciano asked, suddenly worried. "What's happening?"

The German's eyes narrowed. "I…I don't know." He quickly changed the bandages.

"Ve, wait! I should let Arthur take a look…!"

Ludwig frowned. "Arthur's resting, and I don't think he will wake up any time soon. Until then, keep this covered, _verstanden?_"

Feliciano nodded quickly, the curl bouncing up and down. He was very concerned now. What was happening? He looked at his bandaged hand, as if it wasn't a part of his body.

He dearly hoped nothing was wrong…

* * *

_...Somewhere else, again..._

The Sentient Nightmare sat on a chair, in his dark room.

His eyes narrowed, as he rested his elbows on his knees, intertwining fingers. He chuckled to himself.

Everything was going right according to plan. Actually, it was going far too well, and faster than expected.

And _that_ was a problem. One of his eyes twitched.

He'd have to fix that.

Two Human Nightmares, one dark green and the other red-orange, neared him, after he had called for them. They were pretty evolved, they only had one small weak spot, except for the eyes. They couldn't talk, but they did understand and obey every command he said.

**"Are you still keeping watch on them?" **he asked both of them.

The Nightmares nodded, looking disappointed and clicking their tongues. Well, of course. It was like Tantalus' punishment for them, keeping an eye on a bunch of humans, and not being permitted to eat them.

**"Good. Make them move."**

The red-orange Nightmare cocked its head to one side. Obviously he needed to be more specific.

**"Drive them away from their hiding places, and from those cities. Bring them closer. And do ****_not_**** eat them." **The Sentient Nightmare raised a warning finger. **"Understood?"**

Both Nightmares nodded, distorted sounds coming from their throats, before leaving.

The Sentient sat back in his chair, now holding his fingertips together, and looking pleased.

**"идеальный" **he hummed to himself.

* * *

_...Back at the Rock..._

"Hey, Feliciano?" Ludwig asked that afternoon.

"Hm, _sì?_ What is it?"

"Arthur is awake now."

"Oh…!" Feliciano blinked, and walked slowly towards the medical room. Did he really want to know what had happened to his hand?

Well, he did want to know. And he really hoped it was nothing bad.

When he entered the room, a powerful smell hit his nostrils. Disinfectant, alcohol and blood… Not really pleasant smells. Arthur was lying on the table, with some pillows to sustain his head and his shoulders. His torso was covered in bandages, going from his shoulders to his abdomen. He almost looked like the face of a dice. Six red spots dotted the white bandages, positioned exactly like how the dots of a dice would be. The Brit was awfully pale, but still had all the energy to boss people around, from what Feliciano had heard.

"_Ciao,_ Arthur."

The Brit smiled. "Hello there, Feli. Ludwig told me you have something to…discuss, with me?"

Feliciano nodded, nearing one of the chairs in the cave, and bringing it close to the table.

"Ve…Something happened to my hand, Arthur."  
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "'Something happened?' What do you mean?"

Instead of answering, the Italian unwrapped the bandages, and then showed it to the lying man.

"Oh." Arthur said, composed as always. "Well, something _did_ definitely happen." He slowly raised one arm, and took gently the Italian's wrist into his grasp, to inspect the thing more closely.

"I-I am worried something bad is happening…!" Feliciano blurted out, stuttering.

The Brit blinked, looking at him for a moment, and then resumed observing the hand. "How does it feel? Does it hurt you in any way? Do you feel sick?"

Feliciano shook his head. "No, I feel perfectly fine, but…!"

"Hm…" Arthur hummed to himself, thinking. "…I'm sorry, but I absolutely have no clue what is happening. It wasn't like this after Francis, right? The last time I checked…"

The Italian nodded. "No! It was only the white thing, but no scales!"

"It seems most likely the scales appeared after you cured Lukas. At least that's what I'm thinking."

Feliciano cocked his head to one side. "So…?"

"So…this, these scales, this… I do not dare call it 'degeneration', because I do not know if it is, or if it is an evolution, but…" Arthur sighed. "Well, what I'm trying to say is that I think that with each individual you cure, let it be Nightmare or RED… 'this' happens." He held up the hand for Feliciano to see. "The first time, when you cured Gatto, the white thing grew, emerging from the back of your hand, and got brighter, right? And after you healed Francis, it had grown even more and was pulsating. Now these scales… I think you got what I mean." He let go of the Italian's wrist, and leaned back in the pillows, sighing.

Feliciano still didn't look reassured. "…But…" he bandaged the hand again. "…I am scared…!"

Arthur's gaze softened. "It's understandable. I'd be frightened too, if I were you, not knowing what was happening to my body. But I have to remind you, that that hand only did good things, up till now. If it has nasty intentions, it still has to be seen."

The Italian nodded slowly, partly reassured. He stood up, knowing Arthur was weak. He already looked worn-out, just by talking for these past minutes.

"I'll let you rest again, okay?" Feliciano said.

Arthur's voice wasn't more than a whisper. "Thank you."

The Italian left the medical room, grasping his right hand with his left one. He still didn't know if things were bad, but… Arthur was right. He could do good things with it, set things _right_ again. Cure Nightmares, and REDs… Maybe, maybe nothing was wrong.

Maybe.

* * *

_...Somewhere else entirely, this time..._

"…Guys, I found some food…!"

"Ahyah! Where did you come from?!"

"…I've been here for the past twenty minutes…"  
"Were you? Sorry I didn't notice you, aru."

"…"

"Did you say you found food?"

"Oh, you're here too! And you found some blankets, as well! Seeing the Nightmares haven't killed you, we can all be a family again, the three of us! And I'll be your big brother!"  
**_*SBAM*_**

"…Th…That hurt, aru…! What was that for?!"

"Big brother my ass. Hey, did you say you found food?"

"…Yes…!"

"Then where is it?"

"…It was too much to carry, but I remember where it is…"

"What are we waiting for? Lead the way then!"

…

"Could you two lend me a hand? I'm way too old to carry this stuff on my own!"

"You? Old? You look like twenty! Stop complaining and let's get out of here."

"That's old, aru. My back hurts like crazy, and I am not strong like you!"  
"…I'll help you…"  
"Did you by any chance hear something?"

"I think it was the wind, aru…"  
"…Maple…"

"…_Skít!_"

"What is it?!"

"Nightmares. Ahead of us."

"AHYAAAH?! Are you serious?!"

"Sssshhhh! Shut up, you crazy lunatic!"

"…Why are they here, I wonder? It's five o'clock…the sun is still high in the sky… Do you think they are looking for us…?"

"No idea, but we're in trouble. Our tank is there!"

"We have to get past them, aru!"

"We'd probably get ourselves killed. Look, they're three Human Nightmares, and I see very few weak spots."

"…Maybe if we took a detour…?"  
"Hey, good idea!"

"Do you think they're here because of what Matthew saw a couple of days ago?"

"Huh, remind me of what Matthew saw a couple of days ago."

"You are hopeless, aru…"  
"Come on, it's not that big of a deal. So, what happened, then?"

"…I saw something…But it wasn't a human or a Nightmare…"

"Explain yourself."

"…It looked human… but it had something like Nightmare armour covering him in some places…and it was white…It looked like he was searching for something…"

"…!"

"Hey, are you alright? You look pale, aru."

"…N-nothing. Nothing at all. I have no idea what that thing was."  
"I have a feeling you're lying."  
"_Nei!_ A-Anyway, let's move before those Nightmares spot us, heh?"

"...Yeah…"

"I still don't believe you, aru."

"I don't care… And now shut up or I'll use you as a shield if those Nightmares hear us."

* * *

**teeheeheeeee**

**sooo?**

**conjectures and speculations are always welcome! what do you think will happen? :D**

**anyway, i'm uploading this while i should be studying latin... DANG IT! why do i keep writing instead?! D:**

**even if you guess the three characters of the last paragraph you won't get any pasta, they're WAY too easy to guess... ^^**

**again, i have to thank you all for your wonderful reviews! (145?! O_O) and all the faves and follows! (41 and 46!)**

**biiig biiiig biiiiiiig hug from italy!**

**have a nice weekend, you all! ;)**

**(and yes, i admit it... i ****_did_**** enjoy imagining berwald and norway in ballerina outfits...)**

**_Tuborg Guld : _**_Danish beer, pale lager, strength 5.8% ca._

**_København :_**_ Copenhagen, capital of Denmark. (lit. 'Merchant's harbour')_

**_Mon ami :_**_ (french) my friend_

**_s'il vous plaît :_**_ (french) please_

**_Va bene... : _**_(italian) okay..._

**_Guten nacht :_**_ (german) good night_

**_Buenas noches :_**_ (spanish) good night_

**_Verstanden? : _**_(german) understood?_

**_Tantalus' punishment : _**_It is said that this man was punished to suffer thirst and hunger for eternity in Hades, while standing in a river and surrounded by trees full of fruit. Every time he would try and drink, the river would dry up, and every time he would reach out a hand to grab the fruit, the trees would bring their branches up, away from Tantalus' reach._

**идеальный : **_(russian) perfect_

**_...Skít! : _**_(icelandic) shit_

**_Nei : _**_(icelandic) no_


	24. Chess and Tempest

**ciao everyone!**

**oh. my. god.**

**164 reviews?! 7500+ views!? 43 faves, 47 follows!?**

**I LOVE YOU SO MUCH you have no idea how much i LOVE you ALL!**

**(and thanks also to the anonimous reviews! :D :D but sorry if i can't answer them D:)  
this chapter. is. so. LOOOOONG! **

**BTW i noticed i messed up something in the previous chapter, DERP *bangs head into wall several times* why do i confuse soccer with football all the time?! i edited it, but still. sheesh.**

**anyway, i doubt you are interested in my rant, so i'll continue ranting at the end of the chapter... sit back und**

**ENJOY**

**(PS yeah i know chess is clichè and overrated, but i HAD to insert it...!)**

* * *

The Sentient Nightmare tapped nervously his cheek with one finger.

Hmm…

A chess board rested in front of the black Nightmare, devoid of all pieces. Actually, _three_ chess boards. Empty.

Pondering, he took out nine white random pieces, and positioned them in the middle of the biggest board, the one in front of him. The Nightmare took out a white queen, and arranged it in the middle of them. He chuckled to himself, resting one clawed finger on top of the queen, and idly oscillating it back and forth.

Humans thought they were smart, didn't they? Well, of course they were, compared to those mindless Nightmares, but he, thankfully, wasn't one of them.

He _knew_ there was a mountain in that desert, and he knew that there was a high chance for humans to shelter in it. Well, it was only logic. Near enough to the closest city to be able to retrieve necessary supplies, but enough far away from the idiotic and hungry Nightmares.

He took two black horses, and positioned them between the cluster of white pieces, but toppled to the side. Yes, he knew what had happened to Francis and Lukas as well. He smiled. Feliciano was doing his best now, wasn't he? Good boy.

He shook his head. He needed to focus on things at hand, now.

Next, he picked up three white simple chess pawns. He positioned them together, on the board on his left. Then he picked up three black bishops, and positioned them near the white pawns.

Just like that. Perfect. Oh no, something was missing. Oh, right. Those two. He picked up two other white pieces, and positioned them on the farthest corner of the board, flanked by two other black pieces. They weren't really that important or essential to his plan, but he needed to have a completely overseeing look over everything. There, _now_ it was perfect.

Finally, he picked up three other black pieces: two rooks and a king. He positioned them on the board to his right, surrounding them with a numerous simple black pawns.

There.

He sat back in his chair, smiling to himself and feeling satisfied. Soon…

A Nightmare barged in. The Sentient shot him a very, very nasty look, disappointed.

**"I thought I had made it clear not to ****_disturb_**** me."** His voice was dripping with venom.

Obviously, the other Nightmare was terribly frightened of his master, because he was trembling on the spot. And more obviously, he could not talk.

The Sentient Nightmare sighed, rolling his eyes and covering his face with a hand. That was one of the reasons why he preferred to send out the REDs…it was a lot less difficult to communicate. He idly moved a hand, to signal to the Nightmare he could move.

Said Nightmare, a yellow one, came closer. He was circumspect and constantly eyeing his master, almost expecting for him to lash out like a wild animal. He moved to the chess board on the master's left side, and pointed to the three white pawns.

**"Hmm. What about them?"**

The yellow Nightmare picked up one of the black bishops, and toppled one of the white pawns with it.

The Sentient's eyes widened, and then he stood up with such force he threw back the chair. **"WHAT?!" **he roared, but then he dropped to a whisper.** "I thought I said not to eat them. You understand that punishment will be…****_severe_****."**

The yellow Nightmare visibly panicked, shaking his head and moving four hands up as if surrendering. No…they didn't eat one.

**"So what happened…?"**

The Nightmare almost didn't believe he was spared. He then hastily looked around, searching something. He picked whatever he was looking for with one of his hands. He then re-enacted the motion on the chess board, toppling the white pawn again. And then he replaced the white pawn with a black one.

The Sentient's eyes narrowed. **"дерьмо. ****_Leave_****. And be thankful you still have all of your limbs."**

He didn't need to say it twice, the yellow Nightmare left the room as fast as he could.

The Sentient sighed, and pulled up the chair again, before sitting on it. Why, of all things that could have happened…

His gaze fell on the white queen on the middle chess board.

Of course. His… '_mistake_'. Feliciano. He could solve this mishap.

But…how to get him out?

He spent the next several minutes in deep thought, occasionally moving chess pieces and then repositioning back on their original places shaking his head.

Finally, he picked up one of the black rooks near the black king.

He moved it over to the central board, near the white cluster, but not too much. He placed it down, and then slowly moved the white queen out of the cluster, towards the black piece.

**"Hmm…I doubt he would go alone…"** he muttered, and picked up a knight from the group. After placing those pieces in one of the corners of the board, he glared at the three pawns on the left board, especially at the toppled black one. A glare that would incinerate anyone. A puppy probably died somewhere because of that glare. Even so, he moved those three pawns towards the white queen.

**"Little Feli gets to do even some more…'****_good_****', hmm?"** he chuckled as he replaced the black pawn with a white pawn again. Then he glanced at his black rook. Humans were so silly and gullible. Did they really think he wasn't able to annihilate them whenever he wanted? Did they think it was like some kind of fantasy game or movie, where the villain sent his weak pawns when the heroes were at the beginning of the story, and then slowly increased the level of danger?

Such naivety.

He cocked his head to one side. Who would be the rook…? Antonio or Gilbert? Antonio still was cranky and unwilling to follow orders completely, and this operation needed perfection… He chuckled yet again, as he toppled his own black rook at the feet of the white queen.

**"…Gilbert is going to have the time of his life." **

He called out for his man, which entered with that cocky grin plastered on his face, ruby eyes flashing in the dark.

* * *

_…Somewhere else entirely…_

"Emil! Watch where you're driving, aru!"  
"Well, _excuse me_ for trying to get us out of here alive!"

"Matthew's already in a bad shape, please don't worsen it!"

"…_Skít_"

"Matthew, do you hear me? Keep your eyes open, okay?"  
"…Yao…?"  
"Ah, thank God! Emil, I need something to stop the bleeding!"

"Use the blankets I got earlier! Hold on tight, this is going to get bumpy."  
"Matthew, stay with us, aru. You're going to be okay."  
"…I'm not going…going to be okay, Yao…"  
"Don't say such nonsense."  
"…You should have left me behind…You should leave me behind right _now_…! I – ouch!"

"Ahyah! Emil!"  
"I'm sorry!"  
"We will not do such thing, Matthew. We're not leaving you behind."  
"…Listen to me, Yao…! I'm _infected_… The least you could do is leave me behind…or finish me right now…"  
"Stop saying bullshit, Mattie! We'll find a solution, we still have time, and so do you."

"Emil's right, aru."  
"…Why…"  
"Because we're your friends, silly."  
"That's right. I already lost a brother, I'm not letting anyone else go! You got that, you maple syrup-obsessed idiot?"  
"Now stay still or you'll bleed even more. The moment we stop, I'll try patching you up, aru."  
"…You shouldn't-"

"Also, shut up."  
"…nk…"  
"Matthew?"  
"…Thank you…"

* * *

…_At the Rock, outside…_

The desert at night was pretty, he admitted it, even if the sky was a bit cloudy. Looked like it could start raining at any moment now… Actually, something electric was in the air, you could smell there was a storm coming. Nonetheless, he was sitting outside.

Alfred pinched the bridge of his nose, while sitting on a rock. He closed his eyes firmly, and thought of his brother. Was he even alive? Francis did not find a body, so there was the possibility, even the slightest, that he was. But even then, where would he be? Would he have survived, all alone? His brother had always looked so fragile and frail, compared to him…!  
He sighed, and laid back on the rock's flat surface, staring at the cloudy dark sky. Matthew…

He jumped up when he heard a cough nearby, reaching for his bat.

"R-relax, Alfred-kun! It's me, Kiku." The Japanese hastily said, raising his hands.

Alfred let out a sigh of relief, relaxing his tense arms. "Dude, you almost gave me a heart attack! Are you a ninja or something?"

Kiku shook his head, looking however a bit amused. "No, not a ninja. Just careful."

Alfred laughed, shaking his head."Dude, you're awesome. Hey, but why are you out here?"

The Japanese sat a short distance away from Alfred, composed like a statue. "I… guess I kind of heard you sneaking outside."

The American huffed, folding his arms as he sat down again. "Aww, really? I thought I was so stealthy…!"

"May I ask you the same question, Alfred-kun?"  
The blond blinked. Oh, why he was outside. "Eh, I didn't feel like sleeping. I was thinking about my brother."

Now it was Kiku's turn to blink. "You have a brother?"  
"Yes, a twin bro to be exact. Huh…" he paused. "More than a month ago, he and I… fought Francis. You know, when…" he made a vague gesture with his hand. "Anyway, he fell into a river at the bottom of a canyon, apparently. I never saw him again, and I don't know if he is alive… though I highly doubt that. I mean, he was wounded and shit, and then he fell from who knows how many feet…" his voice slowly lowered to a whisper.

Kiku nodded slowly. "I…" He coughed. "I also have a missing…brother. _Hai, _I guess I could call him that. We weren't blood related, but he was like a brother to me. Unfortunately, we got separated during one of the Sentient Nightmares' attack to the city we were in, and I didn't see him again…"

Alfred smiled bitterly, looking up at the dark clouds. "Heh. Then we're in the same boat, dude."  
"I guess so."

Minutes passed by in silence, until Kiku noticed something, somewhere below them. "Uhm, is that…Ludwig-san?"

* * *

That night, Feliciano woke up with a start.

He had had that nightmare once more… the one with him falling. He rubbed his eyes groaning. He would not be able to sleep again that night.  
Then, his stomach churned, in a way he had come to know far too well.

_Oh no…_

No. He… he had to be wrong, this time… Not again! Not this soon! Feliciano recognised the feeling perfectly now. It wasn't a Nightmare, it was a RED.

No no no no no no no no no no. It must have been a mistake.

He slowly sat up, careful not to wake Romano or Gatto. In a trance-like state, he started walking towards the dining cave. Thankfully, with the new mattresses, no one had to sleep on couches now.

Feliciano whimpered as his guts stirred again, and he stumbled. To keep standing, he gripped the side of the table so tightly his knuckles went white.

_Calm down, Feliciano Vargas. It was only a bad dream, nothing to worry about. No Nightmare, especially no RED…_

His insides, almost retorting to his thoughts, churned again.

NO. It was NOT a RED…! He didn't want it to be a RED…! Not so soon! Almost everyone had just barely recovered… He didn't want to be the one to shatter that newfound peace…!

"Feliciano, do you feel alright?"

The Italian's head snapped up, and he saw Ludwig standing some meters away from him.

"_S-sì_, just a bad dream…"  
The German raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? You look like you're about to faint at any moment."

Feliciano shook his head, his thoughts were hazy and cloudy. He needed some air.

"I…I think I need some air."

Ludwig nodded, and was at the Italian's side in an instant. "I'll go with you, you really don't look so good." Feliciano noticed the German had two guns strapped at his hips, probably slept with them. Aha. So he didn't want to repeat the accident that had happened something like a month earlier, being outside with no weapon…

The two of them slowly walked through the entrance cave, until they finally got outside in the cloudy night. The fresh air was like a life elixir to Feliciano, and he immediately felt slightly better. He breathed deeply, closing his eyes. The air smelled like rain, and as to confirm that, the night sky was covered by clouds. See? Nothing to worry about, only a bad-

Feliciano felt himself falling again, and gasped. His body didn't fall, however. His legs continued walking, but it wasn't him anymore giving the orders to do so. He felt light-headed, and his thoughts were hazy. Also, the only thing he saw was mist. Oh. Strange.

He felt his legs carrying him somewhere, but he didn't know where, how or why. He couldn't think straight anymore…

* * *

**"Kesesesese! That's right, little Feliciano… Come to the awesome uncle Gilbert…"**

* * *

Ludwig felt relieved when they got outside, and apparently, so did Feliciano. The Italian took a deep breath, but then gasped.

"Is everything alright?" he asked it without looking, but when he received no response, he turned his head to glance at the Italian.

Feliciano's eyes were glassy, staring into the far distance, his arms dangling lifelessly to his sides. Ludwig snapped his fingers in front of him, but gained no reaction. "Feliciano?"

The Italian, still staring into nothingness, started walking down the path that lead to the desert at the Rock's feet. Thoughts were spinning in Ludwig's head. What was happening? Why did he act so strange?

He stepped in front of Feliciano, putting both hands on his shoulders. "Feliciano! Snap out of it…!"

Feliciano stopped for one, maybe two seconds, looking right through him. Then he shoved him aside, with a force Ludwig didn't think was possible for the Italian to possess.

He stared, eyes wide, as the brunette continued walking, in a trance-like state. What in the heavens was happening?! In the distance he vaguely heard a thunderclap, but he didn't register it in his mind. He was too confused, trying to figure out how to stop Feliciano. He tried to pull him back by grabbing his shoulders, or standing in front of him again, but the Italian simply shrugged him off or shoved him aside, without saying anything or sparing him so much of a glance.

Something felt very, terribly wrong.

Somehow, Kiku and Alfred appeared by his side. "Dude! What are you doing here? And where's Feli going?"

Ludwig blinked, staring at the Italian's head going lower and lower, walking down the path. "I…I don't know. He started acting strange…"

"What do you mean, with 'strange'?" Kiku asked, tilting his head to one side. Ludwig quickly explained what had happened.

"K-kiku…! W-what if he was possessed b-b-b-b-by a gh-gh-ghost or something?!" Alfred started trembling, and despite how comical his face looked(about ready to piss himself), Ludwig couldn't bring himself to smile or even smirk.

Kiku sighed. "Calm down, Alfred-kun. No one is possessed. But Feliciano-kun's behaviour puzzles me…"

"BWAHAHAHAHAHA! Of COURSE he isn't possessed! I was just kidding, and you t-totally fell for it! A-anyway, what should we do?" Alfred tried to regain his dignity again, horribly failing.

"Ludwig-san? What do you think?"

Ludwig shook his head. "I…I don't know. But I have this feeling… Something is very wrong. We should stop Feliciano."

"Dude, you gotta hurry up then. He's already walking in the desert!" Alfred pointed down, and indeed, Feliciano already had treaded foot onto the muddy-orange desert ground. Ludwig saw a storm already raging, far away, and a bolt of lightning lit up the horizon for a split second.

He then saw a lone figure, in the dark, far away. The lightning lit up the background, and morphed the figure into a black silhouette. And, for an instant, he saw a body covered in white in some places.

Oh shit.

"_Gottverdammt!_" he shouted loudly, instantly straightening up and running back into the cave.

"Whu? Ludwig dude, what's the matter?!" Alfred said, worried, following the German.

"I'm getting the jeep! Feliciano's being lured by a RED!"

Kiku also was following them. "…Are you sure?"

Ludwig snarled. "Are you _questioning_ me, Kiku?! Explain me why Feliciano's acting so strange then! Obviously that RED is doing…something! We have to stop Feli before the RED catches him!"

Kiku nodded gravely, fiddling hilt of his katana with one hand. "Shouldn't we wake the others…?" he suggested.  
The upset German hauled himself inside the car. "There's no time!"

Alfred entered too, with the Japanese. "Yeah, he's right, dude. And besides, there wouldn't be that much space in here…!"

The engine roared, and the jeep exited the cave with screeching tires.

* * *

Gilbert watched pleased as the human walked towards him. He didn't know why, but his master had been clear. Not getting too close to the mountain, stand there and wait for the human to come out. He was almost disappointed of how easy it went, and how frail and weak the 'mistake' looked like. And his gaze kind of looked…absent. The wind of the not so far away storm was blowing fiercely, raising clouds of dirt in the dry desert. When Feliciano was not so far away from him, he leapt to his side, and lifted him up his shoulder unceremoniously. The boy did not complain, and just kept staring into space, not saying a word.

**"Kesesesese! This is too easy."** He sniggered.

"GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF OF HIM, YOU FUCKER!" someone shouted over the sound of the raging wind. Gilbert turned around, and saw a car nearing fast.

He smirked, glancing at the loud blond that was leaning the upper half of his body outside the car, swinging a metal bat. Perfect. They had taken the bait.

**"You wish! So long, suckers!" **

A lightning bolt struck not so far away, and blinded the humans in the car for an instant. After blinking their eyes furiously, they saw the RED had disappeared into thin air, along with Feliciano.

"_NEIN_!" Ludwig snarled, stepping hard on the accelerator, making everyone shoot back into their seats (even Alfred who had been hanging outside the window).

He was furious, to say the least. That had been Gilbert. His _bruder_. Somehow, he felt relieved a little, because he now knew Feliciano could cure him… However, the albino had just snatched him away from them, right under their noses! And that made him angry and worried. Why were they after Feliciano…? Did they come to know of his ability, then?

He was snapped out of his thoughts when he saw the RED, running and jumping in the distance.

"Go get him, Ludwig!" Alfred yelled in his ear. The German winced, hoping his eardrum hadn't shattered at the American's voice. Again he stepped on the accelerator, and they resumed chasing him.

"Where is he going?" Kiku wondered, thoughtful. "He's heading south-east, to the nearest city I guess, which is 30 kilometres away…"  
"What? How much is that? Silly Europeans and their metric system…!" Alfred chuckled.

Kiku furrowed his brows, calculating. "…Approximately nineteen miles, I think…"

"You're kidding, right?"

"Alfred, would you shut up for one minute?!" Ludwig growled, and the American fell silent. "_Das ist besser. _Kiku, do we have anything in this car?"  
Kiku looked back into the trunk. "No… Wait, we have dynamite sticks." He said, as if it was the most normal thing in the world to have a dynamite stick in the trunk of a car.

"What?!" Alfred blurted out, blue eyes widening in surprise. "Why and how do you even _have_ that thing?!"

Kiku smiled. "I was, er…how do you say that? Pulling your leg. There is only a small gasoline tank." He held it up for all to see, a dark green metallic tank, its contents sloshing a little.

"This. Is. Gonna. Be. AWESOME!" Alfred cheered. "We're gonna kick that bastard's ass before he can say 'gasoline tank'!"  
"Alfred, you have to remember he has a hostage…"

"Who cares?! I mean, I care for Feliciano, but with that it won't be difficult at all to save him! We'll use my lighter and then…"

No one noticed Ludwig wince at the word 'awesome', as they sped through the desert, chasing the distant RED to God knows where.

When they caught sight of the city, twenty minutes later, the RED made an even greater leap, and jumped behind the line of crumbled buildings.

Big, fat raindrops had started falling, and soon it had become pouring rain. The wind blew fiercely, and the dark was every now and then lighted by a bolt of lightning.

"We'll never find them like this…" Alfred said, dejected.

"No. We _will_ find them." Ludwig gritted his teeth angrily.

"Ludwig, I know it's hard, but…how can you expect to find somebody in this downpour?"

As soon as Alfred had said that, the rain stopped almost completely.

"Oh."

"Well, I guess that answers your question." Ludwig smirked, despite himself, making the car turn around a corner. "Let's continue looking for them, _okay_?"

Both men in the backseats nodded quickly, truth to be said, a little frightened of the piercing blue eyes of the German.

* * *

Feliciano snapped out of the...mist, with a start, when he heard a thunder crash. He got the creeps, and was immediately frightened by it.

He remembered now, those nights Romano had talked about, when he would be scared of thunderstorms. Heck, he was terrified right now.

He frantically looked around, and had a strange déjà-vu, finding he was all alone in a destroyed city. Except that he was soaking wet, and it was raining. How did he even end up there?! The last thing he remembered was leaving the Rock with Ludwig…

Ludwig. Where was he?! How did he get here?! He needed to go back...!

He stood up, his knees shaking. Abruptly, the rain lessened, until only a few drops were falling every now and then. Well, that was weird. Still, another lightning bolt hit a rooftop somewhere of a collapsed building.

Feliciano yelped, and ran away from it, frightened and completely forgetting that he needed to go back. He _hated_ thunderstorms! Now he was pretty sure of it!

He ran through the city, but felt something was strange. His gut was telling him there was still a RED somewhere, and Nightmares as well. He tried running in a direction, thinking it would bring him far away from them, but somehow, whenever he had to take a turn, a lightning bolt made him sprint somewhere else entirely.

As if…someone or something was guiding him somewhere. He yelped yet again as the umpteenth lightning bolt struck another collapsed building, making him run to the right. After some good twenty minutes of this, he reached some kind of a clearing in the debris.

And, in the middle of it, was a…tank.

A tank. Those things with caterpillars at their wheels, and a cannon and all that stuff. And it was a pretty big one, as well.

The tank was positioned near one big piece of crumbled concrete, creating a small safe spot between the two humongous things. And in that small place…there were three people. Other survivors! Feliciano thought happily. Maybe they could help him return to the Rock! Two people were laying, and the third one was standing, holding a big rifle in his hands.

And of course, he immediately spotted him. And shot.

"VEEEEE!" Feliciano screamed, showing off his opera singing skills and ducking for cover behind a rock. "Don't shoot!"

"Show yourself!" The armed man demanded, but not too loudly. Of course, it was night. They didn't want to draw the Nightmare's attention. "Hands above your head!"

Feliciano shakily stood up, hands raised above his head like ordered. He slowly stepped away from the stone that had served as a cover. "D-don't shoot, please!" He repeated.

"No way, he's human…!" The boy muttered, slowly lowering the rifle. He beckoned him. "Quick, before any of those creeps spots you!"

Feliciano smiled, and quickly ran towards the boy. He had short very pale blond hair, so pale it almost had a silvery shimmer. And his eyes were also strange, and reminded the Italian of Tino's eyes. However, the boy's face reminded him also of someone else, but he couldn't quite place who.

The boy helped him into their cramped safe place. "And who the hell are you?"  
"Feliciano Vargas!" The Italian chirped, smiling. "And you?"

The boy frowned, obviously stunned by Feliciano's bubbly behaviour. "Emil Steillsson. What are you doing out here all alone?"

_Ve, it's like Ludwig and Kiku all over again…!_ Feliciano thought. "I…I got lost." He answered. And that wasn't really a lie.

Emil's eyes narrowed, but then shrugged. "Whatever. You're lucky you're still alive. And did you take all the rain? You are soaked wet."  
Feliciano was about to answer, but was interrupted by an agonized moan. They both turned their heads towards the two laying figures, and only now Feliciano noticed what they were doing. Actually, only one figure was lying, the other one was kneeling beside him.

A small man with Asian features was trying to bandage another man's torso, who had dirty blond hair and glasses and… looked exactly like Alfred.

The Italian frowned, stunned. "…Alfred?" he asked, but the blond didn't react. Instead, he wheezed, and clasped a hand over his torso, clawing at the reddening bandages. His face was contorted into a scowl, and he looked in burning pain.

The Asian man straightened his back, wiping his forehead. "Ahyah, Emil, this doesn't look good. His condition is already worsening…!" he suddenly noticed the new presence. "Hey! Who might this be, aru?" he asked, pointing at the Italian.

Feliciano cocked his head to one side, confused. "'Aru'…?"  
Emil shook his head. "Ignore that verbal tick of his. Yao, this is Feliciano. Apparently, he got…lost."

"That must have been awful, aru! I'm sorry if I'm impolite, but I have to take care of Matthew right now." Yao said, bending over the wheezing blond again.

Emil just rolled his eyes. Of course he would be more concerned about politeness. "Friggin' Chinese lunatic…"

Feliciano looked worriedly over to…Matthew(who still bore a striking resemblance to Alfred). "What happened to him?"

The boy with almost silver hair looked hesitant to answer. "Well…"  
He was interrupted by Matthew struggling against Yao. "…No…! S-stay away…!" The Italian was surprised at how soft his voice sounded, nothing compared to the loud American's. Matthew managed to push Yao away, and he rolled to one side, trying to stand up.

Feliciano noticed that the upper half of his torso was covered in half-wrapped bloody bandages. The wound didn't really look that deep, but bled a lot. And his left shoulder looked badly swollen, almost bulking, deformed. Matthew tried to crawl away, but was pinned down by Yao again.

"Matthew! Don't move or you'll get even worse…!"  
"…I don't…want to hurt…" the blond was panting.

"You're not going to hurt anybody…! Now lay still, aru!"

Yao eventually managed to prevent Matthew from wiggling and struggling, and resumed bandaging the blond.

Emil saw Feliciano staring. "He was scratched by a Nightmare. He's infected…"

The Italian's eyes widened, as all of the sudden he noticed Matthew's eyes were glowing bright, toxic green. Arthur's words echoed through his head.

_"Nightmare Infection shows itself by turning the infected subject's eyes green, and then by manifesting scales on the subject's skin… Or by mutating the subject's regular limbs and bones structure…" _

Emil shook his head, letting it hang. "I know, it's hopeless. He'll soon become a Nightmare himself, but we…HEY!" he exclaimed, when he saw Feliciano wasn't listening to him anymore and was nearing Yao.

"Ugh, lend an old man a hand, will you?" Yao said, struggling to keep the blond still. Feliciano almost wanted to say that he didn't look that old, but then concentrated on Matthew. He looked at his right hand, while kneeling.

_"… I do not dare call it 'degeneration', because I do not know if it is, or if it is an evolution, but…Well, what I'm trying to say is that I think that with each individual you cure, let it be Nightmare or RED… 'this' happens…"_

He…needed to do it. This boy was suffering…

"What are you doing…?" the Chinese asked, looking up.

Feliciano didn't answer, and put his hand gently on Matthew's chest. The hand glowed brightly, and Matthew's green eyes widened, before he started screaming.

"What the HELL do you think you're doing?!" Emil shouted, grabbing Feliciano's shoulders and tossing him aside. Well, tried to. The glowing hand was glued to Matthew's chest, and the blond's back arched up when the hand glowed even a brighter light.

Feliciano's forehead was suddenly beaded with sweat, and he gritted his teeth, willing himself not to faint. And, surprisingly, he didn't. The hand stopped glowing, and Matthew relaxed, exhaling a deep breath. His eyes were half lidded, and the green glow was gone. Feliciano couldn't see the colour of his eyes because of the darkness, but he felt relieved they weren't that horrible colour anymore. Also that strange bulk was now gone from his shoulder. Matthew shivered, and breathed again. He blinked, and looked around confused. Yao and Emil were astounded as well, and were staring with eyes as round as saucers first at Matthew, and then at Feliciano.

Feliciano fiddled nervously with the bandages on his hand, panting a little. He felt drained of all of his energy, to say the least, and his hand burned and throbbed. But at least he didn't faint.

When he noticed the three men were staring at him, eyes unblinking, he scratched his head and nervously giggled. "Hehehe…hehe…"

Emil slowly neared him, looking at him with a whole other gaze in his eyes. "Who…are you?"

* * *

A figure was watching the scene from the top of a lopsided half-collapsed building. He smirked. **"Right. First task on schedule, done." **He wrote on an imaginary note pad holding an equally imaginary pen. Then he smirked, looking to his left. **"Now, let's attend to…family business."**

* * *

**YES! YESS! i mean, ahem. i really liked this chapter...! ^J^**

**btw, did any of the chess part make sense to you? it does to me, but that's because i know what's coming next... i'd simply like to know i wrote it alright...!**

**anyway! the AWESOME prussia himself enters the scene! i know many of you were waiting for this! 8D**

**but, i have something not as equally exciting to confess as well : i won't be able to upload this friday, or next week! ;_; please don't hit me! i'm leaving for a whole week, and won't have, like, ANY access to the internet...! (so i won't be able to reply to your AWESOME reviews as well... but i will when i'll come back!) i'll have, however, time to write! so as soon as i come back i think i'll be uploading like CRAZY! :D**

**thank you for your patience, and stay AWESOME! **

**hoping you are all well, until next chapter! ;)**

**(random fact is random : the 25th of april (the day after tomorrow) is the day that in italy is called "celebration of the freeing"! on the 25th of april 1945 there was and end of the nazi occupation and of the fascist period of twenty years!)**

_**дерьмо : **__(russian) shit. (der'mo, pronounce "zeermo")_

**_Skít : _**_(icelandic) shit_

**_Gottverdammt! : _**_(german) god damn it!_

**_Das ist besser : _**_(german) that's better_


	25. Thunder of Awesome

**ciaoooo! ^^**

**i am just back. i swear, i opened the door of my house something like twenty minutes ago ._.**

**anywho! 8500 views! 179 reviews! 45 faves, 51 follows! thank you so much! i LOVE you so much! (i'll reply as soon as i can to your reviews, i swear. now im hitting the sack, im exhausted)**

**i recommend listening to these songs while reading this chapter(well if you want to) : Ghost River, Planet Hell, Dead To The World (all by Nightwish. yup i know, titles not so inspiring, but hey)**

**ah, more author rant at the end of the chapter. so sit back und ENJOY ze ****_awesome_**** chapter!**

* * *

They kept looking for Feliciano and Gilbert, riding in the jeep. They heard some series of thunders, one after another, which was a little peculiar to say the least, mostly because the storm had stopped.

Ludwig frowned, gripping the wheel more tightly in his fists. Where the hell were they…?  
Alfred's voice stopped his train of thoughts. "Dude, watch out…!"

"Vha-" too late, he saw a shadow jump towards them at full speed, and before Ludwig could steer away, it landed on the roof of the car, creating a huge dent. They heard a distorted snarl, and two pairs of claws ripped through the roof.

"Get oooouuuut!" Alfred yelled, opening the door and launching himself outside, swiftly followed by Ludwig and Kiku.

A Human Nightmare was clawing at their roof, baring its fangs and its light blue eyes glowing menacingly. Ludwig felt slightly guilty shooting through them, knowing that if Feliciano had been there, he would have returned human… but they didn't have time for that.

The Human Nightmare fell on its back, beside the car, two dark holes now instead of his eyes.

"Dude, that was awesome!" Alfred wanted to high-five, marvelling at the German's accuracy. However, he let his arm fall again when Ludwig walked past him, completely ignoring him.

Kiku glanced worriedly at the German. "Ludwig-san, they… they probably heard those shots. They will come and get us."

The blond sighed, putting the gun in its holster again. He didn't need to ask who 'they' were. "_Ja, _most probably. Escaping is futile… they'd follow our scents and find us anyway. Better prepare ourselves, then, right?" Kiku swallowed, a single sweat drop rolling down his forehead, as he nodded. "_Hai._ But, Ludwig-san, you miss your hammer."

"I got one now! Catch!" Alfred said, pulling up a piece of concrete attached to an iron bar of some sort, and then throwing it at the German.

Ludwig caught it, and then almost let it fall. The makeshift hammer was heavy as _hell!_ But it would do. He quickly recovered the weapon, adjusting to its weight, and then scanned his two companions. A metal bat, a katana, a concrete hammer. Alfred had a rifle stripped to his back, Kiku had two small guns on each hip, as did Ludwig.

Those wouldn't last long, because no one thought of bringing more ammo. They only had the shots that were already loaded, and Ludwig knew he had some more bullets in his pockets, but that obviously wasn't enough. He gripped the iron bar of his hammer tightly.

"Should we do the back-to-back thingy?" Alfred proposed, visibly uneasy and nervous. Well, who wouldn't be? Kiku's stoic mask was shattered, the Japanese man frowning and nibbling at its lower lip every now and then, while nervously fiddling with the hilt of his sword. Ludwig wondered how he was looking right now. He felt a little detached from the world, as if his body was moving on its own, doing automatic movements he had learned with routine. And so felt his words too.

"_Ja._ For once, you show some brains, Jones."

His thoughts were all revolving around Gilbert and Feliciano. Where were they? Why did Gilbert kidnap the boy? And what were they doing right now? He dearly hoped they hadn't done anything to Feliciano, because otherwise… they'd be doomed for sure.

"Ludwig! Ya there dude?" Alfred snapped his fingers in front of his eyes, and Ludwig blinked, returning to reality. "W…wha…?"

"Dude, don't start spacing out on us! They're here…!"

Ludwig blinked some more, forcing himself to concentrate on matters at hand, and then looked around him. Nightmares were watching them, from behind rocks, perched on the not-so-tall-anymore-tops of collapsed buildings, from holes in the ground… A dozen different shades of glowing eyes were carefully eyeing them.

And they were hungry.

They started drawing nearer, slowly. The trio was trapped in a circle, all backs to each other, and was unsure whether to move or not. If they started shooting, the monsters would all attack at once…but then again, if some Nightmare started moving abruptly, it would be the first to be shot.

So both sides were eyeing the enemy (or food) carefully not to make any harsh move, slowly circling.

Ludwig counted quickly. Twenty three Nightmares against three humans. Five newbies, three Animal Nightmares and one Human. They were obviously outnumbered.

One Animal Nightmare suddenly couldn't restrain itself anymore, and after a roar, charged towards Alfred, mouth open wide, framed by pitch-black jaws. The American reacted quickly, though, and shot him with the rifle, right through its left eye.

"Boom, headshot!" he shouted, almost fist-pumping the air in excitement. "Hell yeah! Come and get us, you freaks!"

The Nightmares all glanced at each other, before turning on the humans again.

"Oh shit."

"You never shut up, do you, Jones?" Ludwig commented acidly, before the Nightmares charged.

Ludwig got lucky. He had to deal only with the newbies, and got rid of them pretty quickly, first with one of his guns. When the shots finished he tossed the weapon to the ground, and he started attacking with his hammer.

Alfred and Kiku had to deal, however, with the biggest of the pack, including the remaining two Animal Nightmares. The back-to-back strategy worked for some time, but the triangle was broken when Ludwig got tackled and head-butted by the only Human Nightmare. Kiku and Alfred couldn't even move a finger to help their friend, and simply hoped for the best, while pressing their backs against each other.

Ludwig grunted as he hit the concrete with his knees and elbows, skin peeling off. He quickly got on his feet, however, and faced the Human Nightmare. Its deep golden eyes were glowing menacingly, and two horns sprouted from the sides of his forehead. Probably the reason in the first place why it had head-butted the German, instead of lashing out with its claws. Fortunately, however, Ludwig had not been hit by those dreadfully pointy and, most of all, infecting objects.

Ludwig tightened the grip on the hammer, and gritted his teeth. "Come on, ugly."

The Nightmare seemed to take that personally, and snarled angrily as it started attacking with its four clawed hands. The German had a hard time trying to evade or block them, and gasped as the monster managed to hit his weapon so hard it flew out of his hands.

Ludwig stepped back, his shoulders hitting a wall. He grimaced, knowing he would not have time to extract the other gun from his hip. The Nightmare seemed pretty delighted of its prey's vulnerability and fear, so halted one second, savouring the moment before striking.

Ludwig flared his nostrils, afraid. Would this be his end? By a Nightmare's claws? He surely had been expecting better.

The Nightmare flexed one of its claws, and charged.

"Ludwig-san!" Kiku managed to yell, before having to turn away to fend off another Nightmare's assault.

Then, suddenly, a cry echoed through the concrete mayhem.

**"****_NEIN! Halt!_****"**

All movements stopped abruptly, Nightmares equally stunned as the humans. Kiku had his katana raised to fend off one Nightmare's jaws, and Alfred had stopped a swing with his bat in mid-air. The Human Nightmare's claw was centimetres from Ludwig's throat, but had halted as well.

A RED had jumped in the middle of the battle, its head lowered to face the ground. But even so, the colour of the armour and of the hair made the RED immediately recognizable. Ludwig winced.

Gilbert raised his head, revealing wide open and horrified eyes. He was panting. **"He…he's…"**

He repeated that word several times, his face still as stunned as it could ever be. The Nightmares didn't look all too pleased, however.

**"He's…he's…!"**

Ludwig swallowed thickly, frozen like everybody else. What was happening? Had he…recognized him…? He observed his older brother. He looked exactly like more than a year ago… That Prussian blue outfit exposed under the lack of white armour, the clawed hands and feet, and, of course, the dreadful white skull mask, covering the left side of his face. And even more, his voice…had become awfully distorted.

"…Gilbert…?" he dared to ask.

The albino flinched, and was suddenly struck by something that looked like a heavy headache or migraine. He stepped back, grimacing and covering his face, still repeating that word. **"He's…"**

All the Nightmares were eyeing him closely, wondering what would happen next.

The RED's shoulders hunched over, one hand still covering his face. There was a pause of some dreadful silent moments. **"He's…!"**

Then, a grin could be seen, slowly forming itself and stretching on the albino's face. Gilbert raised his head, shoulders still hunched, and the hand fell. The Nightmares suddenly almost all looked like they were smiling, as well.

Gilbert's now glowing ruby red eyes were glinting with madness, a lopsided grin marring his otherwise handsome features.

**"…He's ****_mine_****."**

* * *

"…Who are you?" the Icelander repeated again, looking marvelled at Feliciano.

"…I'm a guy who got lost…?" Feliciano said, unsure and still panting a little.

"Ahyah! You just cured Matthew! How did you do that?!" Yao pressed on.

The Italian did not know what to say to the two people towering over him. "I-I…I…" he fidgeted with his hands nervously.

"…Yao, Emil! Stop that…!" The soft voice came from behind the two, who sidestepped, for once actually hearing Matthew. Matthew (not Alfred, Feliciano had to remind himself) was standing, now, looking completely recovered even if a bit pale, and a little pissed off. "…You shouldn't ask that kind of questions…!"

"But Matt, this random guy just cured you from Nightmare infection! Of course I want to know how he did that!" Emil retorted.

Matthew completely ignored him, and stepped beside Feliciano, offering his hand.

Feliciano smiled, a little reassured, took the hand and stood up. "_Grazie!_" As he got on his feet, he wobbled a little, still a bit drained.

"…No, thank _you_…!" Matthew smiled, and the Italian had to strain to hear his voice. Boy, the guy talked softly…!

Yao and Emil were watching the scene, stunned. "I am not believing this! You're not even going to ask him, aru?!" Yao said, his voice going up in pitch.

Emil was pacing up and down the small sheltered place. "And I'm definitely not buying the excuse that he got lost! What were you doing here?"

The Italian felt trapped. "I…it's true that I'm lost… but I know a place where you could shelter with the others I live with!" he offered, changing the subject. He really didn't feel like explaining it all. It almost looked like it was going to rain again, too.

That definitely got their attention. "Shelter?" Emil asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Ah-huh!" Feliciano nodded, smiling. "We are many! We're, like, more than ten!"

Now it was Matthew's turn to be surprised. "…Really? More than ten survivors together…?"  
"_Sì!_" Feliciano said, enthusiastic that they weren't asking those uncomfortable questions anymore. "There's me, and then Ludwig and Arthur, and then Romano, Bella, Francis, Tino, Berwald, Mathias, Lukas, Kiku and Alfred…!"

Those last three names gained three gasps.

Yao's eyes looked like they were moments from popping out of his skull, as he gripped Feliciano's shoulders tightly. "Are you sure there's a man named Kiku, aru?! Kiku Honda?!"

All colour drained from Emil's face, becoming paler even than Feliciano or Matthew, while he whispered "…Lukas…?"

Finally, Matthew was beaming, a wide but still timid smile on his face. "…Alfred…!" he sighed, happy.

Yao was still gripping the Italian's small shoulders. "Are you sure!?" he repeated, looking awfully serious. "Yes…!" Feliciano answered, breathless. Suddenly, he got a warm feeling in his stomach again.

Emil blinked, noticing something behind them. "Guys…" he whispered.

"Ahyah! I'm so happy right now, aru!" Yao hugged the Italian, swinging him around in a circle, completely ignoring the Icelander. Matthew's gaze was absent as well, while he leaned onto the side of the tank.

"_Guys…_" Emil repeated, but he was still ignored by everybody except Feliciano, who had also felt something was wrong. In fact, he was feeling the presence of…

"_Guys!_ Nightmare!" Emil exclaimed, tugging Matthew's elbow and pushing Yao and Feliciano against the tank, while he grabbed the rifle with his free hand.

Indeed, with their backs pressed against the cold side of the vehicle, they heard a distorted snarl.

"S_kít!_"

"Ahyah!"  
"…Maple…"

"Ve…!"

The four of them stood motionless, their breathing heavy and their heart in their throats. They didn't hear anything anymore, and nothing happened for the next few moments.

"…You think it's gone…?" Matthew asked tentatively.

His question was soon answered as a newbie Nightmare landed heavily on the boulder in front of them, towering over them and roaring.

"GET IN THE TANK!" Emil shouted, pointing his rifle at the newbie and shooting. He succeeded hitting one weak spot, which exploded like an enormous blossoming green flower, before the Nightmare fell.

Yao and Feliciano helped Matthew up, and as soon as the Chinese man opened the lid, they jumped inside. Emil was the last one to get in, and before closing the lid, he glanced around. Three Nightmares were nearing them, not newbies but also not really evolved yet. They could get out of this alive. He closed the lid, and was inside the dark and spacious tank.

"Ow! Watch it, aru! That was my foot! And who's on my back?"

"…Sorry…"  
"Ve…! It's dark and scary in here! Ow, my hair!"  
"Whoops, sorry aru."

"…Somebody's butt is in my face…"

Emil sighed. It was like dealing with a bunch of kids. "Everybody _shut up_!"

The trio fell silent.

"Right." Emil felt around a bit with one hand, and after finding a switch, he pressed it. Lights turned on, revealing the insides of the tank and a Chinese, a Canadian and an Italian tangled together in a hopeless heap. Feliciano's butt was pressed on Matthew's face, the Canadian in turn was sitting on Yao's back, who was lying at the bottom of the pile and pulling Feliciano's hair. Emil facepalmed. It looked ridiculous, to say the least.

"Let's get moving, people! There are three Nightmares out there! Yao and Matthew, get to the cannons!" The Icelander said, sitting in the place where he could start the tank up and ride. As on cue, a bang echoed through the metal insides of the vehicle, and the tank shuddered a little.

After a bit of squirming and wiggling, the three men untangled themselves, and Yao and Matthew stood up. "Yessir!"

Feliciano glanced around, and then pointed at himself. "…And what about me…?"  
Emil turned the tank on, the motor roaring. "You guide us through the city, and bring us to that place you told us about!"

Feliciano blinked, suddenly remembering something. What had happened to the RED? He still felt him somewhere in the city… and what had happened to Ludwig? The last thing he remembered was getting outside of the Rock with him…! Had he perchance been following him, or the RED? Suddenly he felt worried. He needed to know…!

Emil opened a small lid so the Italian could look outside. Yao and Matthew pointed the cannon, and fired. _BOOM_. Feliciano thought his eardrums had exploded, but then they all heard the distorted shriek of the struck Nightmare.

"One down, two to go, aru."

Feliciano peeked outside. The storm had started again, it was raining once more, and he distinctively felt the RED was somewhere in front of them, not too far away.

"Where to, Feliciano Vargas?" Emil asked, one eyebrow raised.

The Italian swallowed, before pointing into one direction. "…Straight ahead."

* * *

Ludwig did not know how to react. Hell, he didn't even have _time_ to react. Gilbert dashed forward, shoving aside the Human Nightmare, boring his claws deep into his shoulder and slamming him against the wall. Ludwig cried out in pain, and reached out to the claw with both hands. The almost magic-like block shattered, everyone started moving again, Kiku and Alfred attacking the Nightmares and vice versa. Ludwig looked down at the face of his brother, panting.

His face was the one of a madman, grinning wickedly and barely restraining himself from laughing.

"_Bruder_…!"

Gilbert stopped grinning, and buried the clawed hand even deeper, twisting it. **"…****_Bruder, _****huh?" **he spat, smirking again as he heard Ludwig groan in pain. Suddenly, he extracted the claws from the shoulder, blood staining the white talons.

Ludwig fell on his knees, gripping his left shoulder.

**"What kind of ****_bruder_**** are you, anyway?"**the RED said, looking down in pity. **"You're not even able to take care of yourself, let alone of your own brother."**

Ludwig's head snapped up, and he gritted his teeth. "Stop saying bullshit." He snarled.

Gilbert was about to reply, but was interrupted by a cry. "Ludwig, catch!" Both Germans looked sideways, noticing a hammer flying towards them. Gilbert stepped back, but Ludwig stood up as fast as he could and caught the hammer with one hand, this time not letting it fall. He gripped the iron bar with two hands, ignoring the pain in his shoulder, and took a battle stance in front of his brother. Alfred grinned, satisfied of himself, before he turned around to deal with another Nightmare.

It started raining again, water pouring down on them and wind blowing. The storm had returned, somehow. The two brothers were in a clear circle, surrounded by the fighting Nightmares. Not one of them wanted to mess with the RED or his prey.

Gilbert took a bored pose, however looking amused. **"****_Ach,_**** so you are going to fight back. Fair enough! You won't last even a minute against the awesome me!" **

Ludwig bared his teeth, eyes narrowing under blond bangs. His hair wasn't slicked back anymore, because of the rain and the fight. "We'll see about that, _bruder._"

The RED did not look amused anymore. **"You have ****_no_**** right to call me that, ****_Ludwig._****" **He hissed the last word, before raising an outstretched claw. Ludwig briefly wondered why, but then saw the albino narrow his eyes in concentration, and heard thunder rumble above his head.

Blue eyes widened in realisation, before jumping to the right. A lightning bolt struck right where he had been standing moments earlier, blackening the concrete. Thunder crash almost shattered Ludwig's eardrums. Ah, so that was his brother's RED ability, then. Lightning. And they were standing in the middle of a storm again. Perfect, just _fucking_ perfect.

Gilbert laughed like a madman, looking at the dark sky with arms raised as if he was receiving applause from an audience. **"Kesesesesese! Ah, Ludwig! You surprise me! You dodged my awesome surprise attack!"**

Ludwig scrambled up as fast as he could, and faced his brother again, who was still laughing. "Stop laughing like a fool, you _dummkopf!_" he shouted, before swinging the hammer at him.

He hit Gilbert's right armoured shoulder, and the albino was sent flying. He landed on his feet, however, on top of a destroyed and half-sunken-in-a-hole-in-the-concrete bus. He was grinning again, as he raised both hands to the dark and stormy sky.

**"Kneel! Kneel before my awesomeness!" **he shouted, rainwater running down his face, before two lightning bolts fell from the sky, aiming for Ludwig. Luckily, the blond had noticed that, so he jumped aside in time, dodging the lethal strikes. It went like that for some minutes, Gilbert perched on top of the destroyed vehicle and laughing, and Ludwig jumping around and zigzagging to dodge the lightning. Meanwhile, the blond was thinking. He had noticed it took three or, actually, four seconds of concentration for the albino, before lightning would strike. Lukas had had more immediate control over his ability because apparently, he could perform magic. Gilbert needed, so to say, four seconds to 'reload'.

Ludwig let the hammer go, and reached for his gun. He had only one bullet left. He ran again, and lightning struck the place he had been standing on moments earlier. He started counting, as he trained the gun on the albino.

Four.

Gilbert's hand was raised yet again, to call upon another bolt, and he was still grinning like a fool. Ludwig's eyes narrowed as he took aim.

Three. Two.

His shoulder was hurting like hell, making the gun shake in his hands. He probably wouldn't even hit the target…

One.

He pulled the trigger, and the bullet struck Gilbert's left not armoured shoulder. **"Ack!" **he whirled around, and fell from the bus. The lightning he had called upon came crashing down, but not concentrated on one spot like the others had been. Instead, it split like an upside-down branch of a tree, and struck three Nightmares, one of which was fighting Kiku.

The Japanese looked up surprised as the Nightmare fell, electrocuted and fried, to the ground. He saw Ludwig was still standing, and the albino was scrambling up, clutching his shoulder. Kiku scanned the battlefield, and felt almost relieved. From twenty-three Nightmares, the number had dropped to six. They probably could survive this…! However, to knock the RED down… He looked at the albino again. They needed to use that gasoline tank, like Mathias had done with Lukas.

"Alfred-kun!" he called out to the American, who was currently fighting a pink Nightmare, some meters away. The back-to-back formation had been shattered long before.

"I'm kinda busy, ya know?!" Alfred retorted, clubbing the Nightmare's head with the bat.

Kiku sliced the weak spot of another Nightmare as he neared the American. "We need to get the gasoline tank from the jeep…!"

Alfred looked up, after jabbing a weak spot with the bat, and after the pink Nightmare fell, toppled to its side. "Oh yeah! That's right, that tank!" He exclaimed, brushing the wet bangs from his forehead. They were both soaking wet from head to toe because of the downpour. "But dude, how can we even-Watch out!" He pushed them both aside, as another Nightmare tried to lash out to them. The claws ripped Kiku's sleeve, but otherwise did no harm. "We will discuss later how! Now we need to get that tank!"

The American nodded, and sprinted to the jeep, followed by Kiku. Other Nightmares were joining the party, they needed to escape. Kiku furiously wiped his forehead from the wet hair, and then realized something. Earlier, they couldn't escape because it would have been futile, the Nightmares could smell pretty good. But in this storm, with the rain pouring like that…their scents would wash away completely…!

"Alfred-kun! We have to run!"

The American looked up, holding the gasoline tank in one hand. "Huh?"  
"Just follow me!" Kiku pulled the American in one of the collapsed buildings, and of course the Nightmares started chasing them.

Meanwhile, Ludwig panted, and saw the two leaving. He needed to buy them time. "Hey, _bruder!_" he called out. The albino emerged from behind the destroyed bus, grimacing and clutching his bleeding shoulder. **"Oh my, what's this?!" **he exclaimed, pointing at the wounded shoulder. **"We now have the same wound in the same place? Does this mean we are brothers again?" **

He hunched his shoulders, like a cat ready to strike. **"****_Like hell._**** I'm more awesome than that. I do not ****_need_**** a brother. Oh, but you lost the privilege of that title more than a year ago. Well then, I do not need YOU!" **he jumped, and flexed his claws, lashing out at the blond.

Ludwig was barely able to dodge. "Stop that, _bruder!_" he repeated the word, because it got a reaction out of the albino. But, to say the truth, he didn't want to hurt him. However, he had to defend himself, right? He hit the RED with the hammer, striking the abdomen, but he did not budge. Instead, Gilbert struck back.

**"****_Du. Binst. Nicht. Meine. BRUDER!_**" the albino yelled, underlining each word with a clawed attack, eventually slicing the hammer's bar in two.

Ludwig let the now useless weapon fall to the ground, and stepped back, his shoulders hitting a wall yet again. He had no weapon, he was defenceless. Gilbert was mere steps from him, still with that lopsided grin, eyes ablaze with madness and…something else Ludwig couldn't quite place.

He glanced behind the RED, and saw Kiku and Alfred, through the rain, in the opening of a collapsed building. They were desperately trying to make a Molotov-like bomb out of the gasoline tank, but they wouldn't make it in time.

**"I will end you now." **Gilbert panted, raising a claw to the sky, and thunder rumbled angrily. Was Ludwig imagining things, or did he see tears, and not rain, streaking down the albino's cheeks? **"I'll pick my teeth with your bones. ****_Auf wiedersehen…bruder._****"**

Suddenly, they heard a loud _BOOM_, and the ground at Gilbert's feet literally exploded. He was sent flying, and hit the wall of a crumbled building. **"Argghhh!"** He then fell down, landing unconscious and with sprawled limbs.

Ludwig looked to his left, and saw a tank coming nearer. A tank. A freaking _tank_. And a big one, for that matter.

The tank had two cannons, and they were shooting down the remaining Nightmares. The ones who were fast enough fled, but still the tank made many victims. Finally, the caterpillar wheels halted in front of the blond, who hadn't moved from his frozen position. The tank's lid opened, and Ludwig saw a very familiar head and curl popping out of the vehicle.

"…Feliciano?!"

"VE! Ludwig! Are you okay?!" Feliciano asked worriedly while climbing down the tank, but then stumbled and fell face-first to the ground. "Ow!"

Ludwig was overwhelmed with relief. Not only was Gilbert knocked out, but Feliciano was unharmed and well! And that also meant… his brother was going to be okay. Again, he felt so immensely relieved…! He had imagined tons of different endings and deaths for the Italian, most probably by Gilbert's or another RED's hands…!

He helped the Italian up, and hugged him. "Oh _Gott, _you're okay…!"

"… You were worried…?" Feliciano asked, not believing his ears and eyes. Ludwig had been worried about him…? He felt happy. That meant he cared!

However when the German released the hug, Feliciano saw his wounds. "Ve! Ludwig, you're hurt!" he turned to face the tank. "Yao!"

A jet black haired head popped out of the tank. "Hey, is this one of the guys you said you were sheltering with, aru?"

Feliciano nodded, happy. "_Sì, _but he's hurt…! Do you still have bandages?"

A voice echoed from inside the tank. "YAO! Get out or stay inside, I don't really care, but do not hold that damn lid open! The rain is pouring in!"

Ludwig blinked, and stared confusedly at Feliciano. "How…Who…What…?" he stammered.

Feliciano smiled. "Hahaha, only 'Where' and 'When' are missing!" he chirped. The German glared, and the Italian pouted. "V-ve…! I'll tell you later, can't we get to the Rock first…?"

Suddenly, Alfred and Kiku appeared. "Dude, Feli! You're alright! We were worried!" The American took the Italian in a bone-shattering hug, and Feliciano yelped. "A-A-Alfred?! Kiku? What are _you_ doing here?"

Kiku smiled too. "You are well, Feliciano-kun. I am very relieved. We just followed and helped Ludwig find you."

Yao, still holding the lid open (much to Emil's dismay) suddenly looked like he had seen a ghost. "Kiku…?" he whispered.

The Japanese looked up, and saw Yao looking down at him in disbelief. Kiku's poker face shattered, as surprise and stupor were painted on his features. "_…Oniisan…?_"

Yao didn't answer, and jumped from the inside of the tank, landing with one swift motion, long hair in a ponytail almost floating behind him. He straightened his spine, and then tackle-hugged the Japanese. "Kikuuu! You're really alive, aru!"

The two of them fell in the mud, hugging each other and laughing, happy.

Alfred released Feliciano, just so he could laugh and smile at the Japanese. "That's awesome, dude! You found your bro!"

The American however froze as he heard another voice, calling out his name. "…Alfred…?"

Slowly, painfully and dramatically so, Alfred turned his head around to look at the source of the voice. Sure enough, his twin brother was looking at him from the top of the tank.

The American moved so fast he was only a brown-yellow blur. He jumped onto the caterpillars, then on top of the tank, and then onto his brother, the both of them falling inside.

"…Eeeeeeh…?!"

"What the _hell_?!" Emil probably had been hit by the two twins falling.

"Bro! Oh, Mattie! You're here! You're ok! You're alive! You're _alive_! Oh, thank God…!" they all heard sobs echoing in the metal shell. "…_You're alive_…!"

"…I missed you too, Alfred…"

Feliciano was beaming with joy. Everyone was so happy! And they had all found their relatives! He turned to look at Ludwig, and saw him standing near Gilbert's unconscious body.

He neared him, and tugged the German's sleeve. Ludwig blinked, and looked sideways at Feliciano. The Italian smiled, before kneeling. "Ve, don't worry Ludwig! Your _fratello _will soon be as good as new…!"

Before Ludwig could stop him, he put the hand on Gilbert's chest. The hand started to glow brightly and the chest armour cracked. A black liquid oozed out of the crack, which was absorbed by the palm of the brunette's hand. Feliciano started panting, as the warm and all too familiar feeling seeped into his hand, and he really did his best not to faint.

However, he had already been drained by curing Matthew earlier. Gilbert's RED infection proved to be too much, as Feliciano fell yet again unconscious. The last thing he saw before falling into the darkness was Ludwig's face, and his mouth moving, saying words he could not hear.

* * *

The Sentient Nightmare toppled the black rook at the feet of the white queen and knight. He started chuckling softly to himself. But then the low chuckle escalated quickly into loud laughter that echoed throughout the chamber.

**"Perfect, Feliciano…! Just perfect…"**

* * *

**Why does this not feel as good as i imagined it? ;_; well, hopefully you like it!**

**ah, ze awesome prussia is back...!**

**i wonder what ivan's plotting...? tee hee heeeee**

**i've also made three drawings, but i am too tired to upload them now. i need some sleep...**

**BTW i already wrote next chapter, but i don't know if i'll upload tomorrow(ergo:friday). i feel like being evil... mwahaha!**

**...but maybe not...**

**until next chapter! ;D **

_**Nein! Halt! : **__(german) No! Stop!_

**_Grazie :_**_ (italian) thank you_

**_Skít : _**_(icelandic) shit!_

**_Du. Binst. Nicht. Meine. Bruder! : _**_(german) You. Are. Not. My. Brother!_

**_Auf wiedersehen : _**_(german) goodbye_

**_Oniisan :_**_ (japanese) brother (im not sure about this...)_


	26. Hungry

**HA! you thought i wasn't going to upload, heh? ah, i felt like being less evil, so here is the chapter of friday ;P**

**author rant at end of chapter...!  
sit back und ENJOY**

* * *

Alfred, Matthew, Emil, Yao, Kiku and Ludwig returned to the Rock, carrying the unconscious Feliciano and Gilbert with them in the back of the jeep(Emil, Matthew, Yao and Kiku were in the tank, and presumably the Japanese was explaining a lot of things to the newcomers). Alfred and Emil had managed to remove the dented roof of the jeep, so they could ride peacefully (even if that meant it would rain inside the car. However, somehow, the lightning had stopped as soon as Gilbert had been knocked unconscious). Ludwig, Kiku and Alfred were still surprised to see there was a surviving tank, somehow, but they were more pleased that they had found family again. Yao patched Ludwig and Gilbert's shoulders with makeshift and temporary bandages obtained from blankets.

While they were riding back, Ludwig learned that Emil was, in fact, Lukas' brother. Ludwig smiled, knowing that the Norwegian would be overjoyed.

As they finally returned to the Rock, it had stopped raining at last, and it was almost dawn.

And…they were greeted by very, very _pissed off_ and worried inhabitants: Arthur, Francis, Tino, Bella and Romano.

"Where the hell were you, you irresponsible gits?!" Arthur grumbled, sounding almost like an angry father disappointed at how late his son had come home. He was being supported by Tino and Francis, the Brit obviously still too weak to walk on his own.

Francis nodded with a grave look on his face, mimicking and mocking the Brit. "_Oui__**, **_we were worried sick. And you ruined the car too, oh poo."

"Shut up frog, we really _were_ all worried." Arthur shoved the Frenchman aside, and lost his balance. Francis held up his hands, as the Brit came crashing down with the poor Fin.

"Aaaagh! You bloody backstabbing giiiiit!"

"Ohyaaaah!"

"Oh, _je suis désolé, Sourcils._" Francis giggled innocently.

Ludwig stepped out of the jeep, and was assaulted by a very, very angry and moody Italian. "Where the FUCK is my brother, you potato bastard?!"

Alfred stepped out of the car as well. "Dude, calm down!" His smile was going from ear to ear, he was actually beaming. "Feli is in the back of the car, don't worry." Romano dashed for the back of the jeep.

Bella was also present, and she raised an eyebrow, curious. "And why do you look so happy?"

Alfred took the Belgian's hands and started dancing around, laughing. "Because I found my bro! Hahahahaha! He's alive!"

"Really?" Bella asked, smiling. She honestly didn't even know he had a brother, but oh well.

Francis' eyes were as wide as saucers. "Is it true, Alfred?" the American nodded, silent understanding passing between them. "But then where is he? And where's Kiku?"

"Ah, the dudes had a tank - yes, a motherfucking tank! - and they obviously couldn't get it in here. They're looking for a place to park and hide the monster, before coming here!" Alfred beamed.

The Fin helped Arthur up, eventually aided by Francis as well. "That's so good! I didn't know there were so many survivors!" Tino said, smiling.

"EEEEK!" Romano shrieked, scared and falling butt-first to the ground.

Ludwig immediately was at his side, but the Italian refused any help. "What the _fuck, _you potato head?! _Another_ RED?!"

Everyone suddenly got serious again, and Francis tensed. "What? …Who is it?"

Ludwig sighed, as he picked up his brother under his armpits and carried him to the dining cave. "_Ja…_It's my _bruder_. Feliciano already cured him, that's why he's knocked out again."

"You brainless moron! How could you let him do that?! You know it does that to him!" Romano yelled, grabbing Feliciano and following the German.

"I didn't force him to." Ludwig gritted his teeth. "He chose to do that. And now we know the infection doesn't kill him, right? So he should be ok."

"I don't fucking care. I'm still mad at you." Romano grumbled, hugging Feliciano tighter to his chest.

The remaining people just laughed, relieved, and waited for the others to come, while Ludwig carefully laid down the albino on the table. It had kind of become standard procedure, to put the recovering REDs there. Romano in the meantime brought the knocked out cold Feliciano to the nearest couch, and laid him down as well.

Ludwig noticed that cracks were already spreading on Gilbert's white armour, the material becoming brittle. Ludwig felt just so… so immensely relieved. He softly petted the albino's white strands of wet hair, awaiting the moment he would wake up. A year, more than a year without his older brother… it had felt like an eternity. It almost didn't feel real, the fact that in moments he would be returned to him. And it was all thanks to Feliciano... the arrival of the Italian had changed so many things for the better...!

Finally, after the umpteenth crack, the armour dissolved into fine dust, leaving Gilbert on the table. Human Gilbert, not RED. Ludwig smiled, tears pooling in his eyes, but holding them back. It really was him…! He had really returned…!

Then, like with Francis and Lukas, Gilbert's face contorted into a frown, as if he was having a nightmare. And, like Arthur and Mathias had done, he tried to wake him up. First gently.

"Gilbert, wake up…" he softly shook his brother's shoulder, but gained no reaction.

Ludwig frowned. Romano appeared beside him. "Maybe if we tried kicking him?"

The blond shot a nasty look to the Italian, who simply huffed, folding his arms. "What?! The eyebrows bastard had to slap the French pervert several times, so let's just get this over with and kick him awake already."

Ludwig shook his head, still gripping his brother's shoulder. "_Nein._ But…" blue eyes glinted, and he smiled, despite himself. "…maybe slapping is a good idea after all."

* * *

He stood in darkness. He felt the floor under his feet, but could not see it, because it was all black. He looked around. Where was he? What was he doing here?

…

_Who_ was he?

He saw a lone figure, standing not so far away. Ah, maybe he could tell him where he was!

He started walking, but the figure did not come closer. He frowned. What was wrong? He reached out an arm and started running, and finally he got closer. He was about to touch the person's shoulder, but then his hand was batted away by a black hand that appeared out of nowhere.

**"Come with me…" **the hand was being offered to him. He hesitated. Who was this? Why was he offering to come with him? And…was it the right thing to do? It somehow didn't feel right…!

A voice echoed, but he couldn't place where it was coming from… "Gilbert, wake up…"

Oh, was that his name then?

The black hand insisted, and a pair of violet eyes opened in the dark. **"You'll protect him…"**

He glanced at the lone figure not so far away. The figure somehow was very important to him… he took the black hand, accepting the offer. Suddenly, he felt very heavy.

He smiled, feeling satisfied because he had protected the figure, but when he turned to look at it, it was gone.

No…no…! He had promised he would protect him! Where did that person go? He... he... had _promised_!

Lightning lit up the darkness, far away, but he didn't hear a thunderclap. Strange.

Suddenly, the floor under his feet was gone. He started falling. He wanted to scream, but somehow he couldn't.

No! Someone as awesome as him couldn't die like that…!

Wait, what did he say?

Awesome…?

The word had a familiar taste. Awesome… But when would he use that word…?

He couldn't remember…

He stopped falling. He just…started dangling, in that nothingness. He saw the figure again, far away. Icy blue eyes turned to look at him. Those eyes were all too familiar, but he couldn't remember who they belonged to. That was quite frustrating, to say the least.

The black hand appeared again, and wrapped itself around his ankle. What…?

The hand started pulling down.

He flapped his arms around widely, trying to find anything to hold on to. He found nothing. No no no no no no! He had to go to those blue eyes! He reached out one hand.

"_Bruder…!_" he called out desperately. What had he said? Brother… He had a brother? The figure, those blue eyes…they were his brother's…?

The hand was dragging him down, towards unknown depths. When he glanced down, he saw, deep into the darkness, the pair of glowing violet eyes, looking up at him. Somehow, he felt those eyes were…_smiling_. He shuddered, and tried reaching out for the figure again. He didn't want to go down! He was too… too awesome for that!

The blue eyes were suddenly above him, and someone grabbed his hand. "_Bruder…!_" an all too familiar voice called out. "Wake up!"

He looked up, and held on with all his might to the hand of his…his brother. The violet eyes didn't really looked pleased, but after some agonizing minutes of struggling, the black hand finally let go.

A roar echoed through the darkness, as he got over the invisible ledge, and sat down on the 'floor' beside those blue eyes.

No. They were gone yet again.

He stood up, looking around frantically. No! Where had he gone!? He saw the figure in the distance, and started running. He tackled the figure down, and yelled out a name, finally remembering it. "Ludwig…!"

The figure chuckled, and he smiled. Finally…! He looked up, and saw violet orbs instead of blue. The figure with purple eyes started laughing at him, in derision.

He started screaming, and finally woke up.

* * *

Gilbert's cheeks were red, having been slapped several times by Ludwig. Romano thought it was fun to mess with the 'potato bastard''s brother, so he started pinching and poking him in the sides as well. However, he still didn't wake up, and still was grimacing because of whatever he was dreaming about.

"_Bruder…!_" Ludwig said, fist falling on Gilbert's chest heavily. "Wake up!"

Gilbert suddenly inhaled sharply, and sat up, "Ludwig…!" he yelled, before going into a cough fit.

Ludwig's head snapped up, a single tear glinting in the corner of his eye. He weakly smiled. "_Bruder…_" he whispered, and then he hugged him. "_Bruder!_"

Gilbert's shoulders were still shaking because of the cough fit, but he managed to utter a few words between the coughs. "_W-was…?_" cough. "Lud-" cough "-wig?" cough cough "Where…?" cough cough cough "Did" cough "you" cough "_slap _me?!" cough cough.

Ludwig patted lightly the albino on his back. "_Ja, _Gilbert. It's me." He smiled, drying the lone tear on his cheek. "_Willkommen zurück_".

* * *

…_Somewhere else…_

Antonio looked left and right, while stepping into his… _that man_'s chamber.

Fortunately, _he _was momentarily gone, God knows where.

Antonio didn't trust _him_, of course. _He_ had acted all angry and distraught about Francis', Lukas' and now also Gilbert's disappearances, but Antonio could have sworn he had heard _him_ laugh, while in here.

_He_ was hiding something from them. From them! His most trusted men!

He shook his head furiously. Yes, he was one of them, but that didn't mean he wanted to be.

**"Concentrate, Antonio. Get it together."**

He stepped in the room, and immediately saw the chair in the middle of it, on top of some kind of pedestal. _He_ really thought he was a king of some sort, huh? He hissed angrily.

He walked closer, and saw that near the chair there had been positioned three chess boards. Obviously the 'maps' of _his _plans and schemes.

Every board had its pieces, however Antonio only understood half of it. He presumed the black pieces were the Nightmares, and the white ones the humans. After all, it was only logic.

One board was only full of black pieces. There was a black king, and a black rook, and further only simple black pawns scattered all over the board. Hmm, knowing his mast- Antonio bit on his own tongue and shook his head. Knowing _him_, the black king probably was _his_ own representative.

He glanced at the least crowded board. Only two white pieces were on them, guarded by two black ones. He had no idea who those could be.

Then he looked over at the board in the middle, the biggest one, and noticed it was pretty much crowded. Eleven random white pieces stood all in the middle. Between them were positioned, toppled to the side, two black knights. And, not so far away, a white queen, and at her feet a toppled black rook.

Antonio growled. The toppled pieces were obviously his companions. Francis, Lukas, Gilbert… so they were all just pawns in a twisted game? They had to be sacrificed for some 'big plan'?

Rage started boiling inside him, and he had the greatest urge to set something on fire. He would take much pleasure out of burning those boards, see them burst into flames, the pieces turning into ash… fire _burning_, consuming, eating everything…

Antonio furiously shook his head, clearing it from those thoughts. No! He had to keep calm. No burning. Not yet.

He looked at the pieces again, mostly at the black rook beside the king. Probably, that rook was him. But… _he _had not made any move with it yet.

He glanced at the other black rook. That probably was Gilbert… he wondered what had happened to him. Obviously, _he _knew everything, but had decided not to tell them. Antonio narrowed his eyes, looking at the white queen.

Something looked…off, about the queen. She didn't seem...right, as if originally-

**"It is considered ****_rude_**** to snoop around other people's rooms, Antonio."**

Antonio whirled around, facing the Sentient Nightmare. He didn't say anything, but felt petrified under that violet gaze. He knew he would be punished soon because of this, but still, out of pure instinct, narrowed his eyes and growled.

The Sentient chuckled. **"Do you like chess, Antonio?" **he stepped beside him, looking at the boards. Antonio did not answer, knowing that his… his 'master' would keep on talking anyway.

**"I really like chess. It's a wonderful game, don't you think? There are specific rules, so no one can cheat. And what's even more fascinating, every piece has its…abilities and qualities." **

He picked up a simple black pawn, and started explaining. **"Pawns, for example, are weak, but they are many and keep on advancing. I think of these as the Nightmares, in general." **

He idly twirled a black bishop in his clawed fingers. **"Bishops are twisted. They cannot 'think' straight, so only move diagonally, but…as far as they desire. These are still Nightmares, but the most evolved."**

A black knight. **"Knights… they are peculiar and bizarre. They can jump over other pieces, and have the strangest moving pattern, 'L'-like. Very handy and unpredictable for the adversary." **He put it down toppled to the side again, back in the cluster of white pieces. **"These symbolize Francis, and Lukas."**

He picked up a black rook now, and looked it up closely, as if fascinated. **"Rooks are my personal favourites. They are sturdy, strong… always move in a straight line and as far as they can go. They have a…****_powerful _****and mighty air about them, да?"** Antonio really didn't know what to say, so just listened to this madman's ranting. The Sentient put down the rook again at the white queen's feet. **"The Rooks symbolize you, Antonio. And Gilbert."**

The Sentient picked up the king. **"The King. Ah!" **he sighed dramatically. **"The weakest pawn. But at the same time, the most important, for without the King, the game would be over. Such cruel irony, don't you think? And, of course, this would be me." **Antonio still didn't answer.

Finally, he picked up the white queen, and twirled her in his fingers. **"Queens are by far the most powerful pieces in the game. They can move wherever they want, as far as they want…So much power, so many possibilities…! However, with the smallest distraction, the adversary will take advantage and take her from you, right because she's the most ****_dangerous _****piece on the board…So you always have to keep an eye on her." **The last words were spoken more slowly, and almost whispered. He put a clawed fingertip on top of the queen's head. **"This…is my 'mistake'. He's the Queen, and therefore the most dangerous and powerful piece in the game. That's why you have to find him."**

He gently put down the queen on her original spot. Antonio still felt something wasn't right about that queen, and after the Sentient had twirled her in his hands, he could see the oddity more clearly.

**"And what's even more thrilling of the game… the ****_strategy_****. You have to learn that sometimes you have to…sacrifice some pieces to let the game continue and, in the end ****_win_****."**

Antonio finally had to say something. He pointed at the black toppled pieces. **"When a piece gets eliminated, it is put off the board. Why are those still there then?"**

The Sentient turned to face him, cocking his head to one side. Antonio felt a chill run down his spine, as his 'master' smiled under that mask. How it was even possible for him to _feel_ that, he would never know. Still, the Nightmare smiled the widest and most childish smile he had.

**"****_…Who ever said they were eliminated…?_****"**

* * *

_…At the Rock…_

Gilbert finally stopped coughing, and looked up. "L-lutz?" he repeated.

Ludwig sighed out of pure happiness. "Gilbert, you're you…!"

The albino grinned. "Of course it's the awesome me, who else would I be?" he coughed once.

Ludwig sighed out of pure habit, and groaned. Yes, it was Gilbert alright, and he was back to his older self, or with even more 'awesomeness' than before.

"Hey potato head, are you crying? Pfff-whahahaha! Such a baby…!" Romano sniggered, and Ludwig brought a hand to his face. He was really crying, and he hadn't even noticed.

Gilbert blinked, confused. "Huh? Lutz, why are you crying?" Ludwig didn't answer, and simply covered his eyes with one hand, but the albino saw the clenched teeth and the tears that were still running. He didn't understand. His brother would never cry. Hell, he could have sworn the blond had been made out of solid rock instead of bones, flesh and soul. What had happened, then…?

Suddenly, Gilbert's eyes widened in realisation, as the memories of the past several months flashed in front of his eyes. He stared down at his hands, horrified at the memories, and marvelled at the fact that his palms weren't claws anymore. He closed them, reopened them. No clicking sounds. He started laughing, feeling immensely relieved and light-headed. "Ha…Haha…Hahahahahaha!" He touched his face, still laughing like the idiot he really was. No mask! No armour! No clicking sounds…! He was normal again…!

"Hahahahahahahahaha! Ah, the awesome me is awesome again! Oh, hell yes…!" As he was touching his face with both hands now, and felt he had started crying as well. Hey, awesome people like him (well, less awesome than him because he was the most awesome) had to cry too, once in a while, on some occasions…! And returning human was one of them.

He looked at Ludwig, and saw he had sat down on one of the couches, still covering his face. The albino jumped from the table, and tackle-hugged him. He started ranting. "Lutz! Oh, Lutz! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Sorry! _Danke! _Thank you! Thank you! You are the awesomest _bruder_ in the whole world…! I mean that!"

Ludwig first didn't react, but then wrapped his arms around the albino's shoulders. "_Ja_, Gilbert… _Danke_… und 'awesomest' isn't a real word."

"Kesesesese!" Gilbert laughed between his tears. "You haven't changed a bit, Lutz. Still the same grammar nazi as always."

The brothers sat a while like that, before the emotional moment was shattered by two hordes of people entering the cave, and Feliciano waking up - creating a string of curses coming out of Romano, scolding first his brother, then Ludwig and then Gilbert.

"Ve…? Where am I?"

"GHYAAAH! What the flying FUCK, Feli! You've already recovered?!"  
"Ve… You're loud, Romano…"  
"I don't fucking care! You brainless idiot! You got me worried _sick_! Do you know how many times I imagined your death this night?!"

"_Scusa, fratellone…_"  
"Tch! But after all, I know it was all the potato bastard's fault."  
"Hey! Don't you go talking like that about _mein bruder!_"

"Ha! Says potato bastard number two, who's also crybaby number two! I bet it was both your fault."

"Says the Italian dwarf!"

"HEY! YOU TAKE THAT BACK THIS INSTANT, YOU HEAR ME?!"

"_Fratello, _don't fight!"

"_Bruder!_ Stop struggling!"

"Let me _go_, Lutz! Someone as awesome as me eats puny unawesome Italians like him for breakfast!"

"I'd give you the worst stomach ache you had ever had, Snow white! That is, _if_ you could take me…!"

"_What _did you call me?"

"You heard me: Snow white!"

"My awesome white hair will not be insulted like that! Let, me, _go_, Lutz! Let me at him!"

"Snow white, Snow white!"

To make long things short, Romano and Gilbert were at each other's throats minutes after they had come to know each other. They were both being restrained by their respective brothers, and just barely.

In the meantime, the group from inside the Rock that hadn't been outside yet came into the dining cave, as did the newcomers and the other Rock gang members.

Most of the gang marvelled and loudly cheered again at the fact that a RED had been cured, and Gilbert waved enthusiastically (at least not trying to strangle Romano anymore) at Francis and Lukas. "Hey! So it's _here_ where you all ended up! Awesome!"

The Frenchman left all of Arthur's weight on Tino's shoulders, and he and Gilbert laughed as they patted their backs, like old friends.

Lukas, however, stopped dead on his tracks when he saw Emil entering the cave. The Icelander got nearer, and stood motionlessly in front of him. In that moment, Feliciano finally remembered who Emil reminded him of: Lukas. They stood like two statues, looking at each other, doubting their own eyes. But then the Icelander whispered something. "_…Big…brother?_" Then, he hauled his arms around Lukas' neck. "You're alive! Oh, thank God!" Tears were now rolling down both of their faces(even if Lukas still had his straight, however slightly stunned, poker face).

"…Emil…?" The Norwegian weakly smiled, still too stunned to say anything else. Mathias was supposed to be leading Berwald the way, but completely forgot about that as he jumped on both of them, making them all fall down. "IIIICE!"

Tino helped Arthur sit down on a couch, and then came nearer. "_Kyllä_, it's Emil!" He laughed, and then yelped as Mathias pulled him down on the dog pile on the two reunited brothers. "Hahaha! Fin, join the club!" He turned towards Berwald, whose eyes were still bandaged. "You too, Sve!"

Berwald didn't even have time to say 'Wh't', before he was pulled down also, the giant frame of the Swede almost crushing them all. Gatto thought it was fun to join the dog pile, and perched himself on top of the Swede's butt, meowing contentedly.

"WAAAH! Mathias, you moron, get off of my back!" Emil cried out.

"No way, Ice! You're back! You're alive! It's the five of us all together again! Hahahaha! Oh, I'm just so happy! And you called Norge 'big brother'! I _have_ to call the newspaper! Since you're in such a brother-y mood, can you call me 'big bro' too?"

"No, _I'm_ his only big brother." Lukas stated jealously, and in the same moment Emil said "_Hell_ no! Now get _off_ of me!" the Icelander squirmed under the Dane's weight.

"Hahahah! Sorry, but can't do, Ice. Sve and Fin are kinda crushing my spine…!"

"Moi moi…sorry…! Berwald, could you kindly stand up, please?"

"Hn" the Swede removed Gatto from his rear, and finally stood up.

Everyone was in a joyful mood, because of the finding of long lost relatives. Hell, they all forgot about the whole serious apocalypse thing. Kiku had been reunited with Yao, Alfred with Matthew, Ludwig with Gilbert, and Lukas with Emil and the others.

"Dude! We're fifteen people! If we don't count Berwald and Artie, and one plays the referee, we can have finally a more serious football match!" Alfred jumped up and down excitedly, waving his arms.

"My name is _not_ 'Artie', and you are talking about _soccer_, not football." Arthur snapped back from the couch.

"Yeah whatever dude! Let's go and _play_!" the American said, still jumping up and down.

"Ahyah, I don't think it's a good idea, aru. People are still tired, and some just recovered, like Gilbert, or Matthew, or Feliciano…!" Yao shook his head.

"No way! I'm more awesome than that!" The albino exclaimed, elbowing Francis in the face "Let's go play! I'm pumped!"

"Aaah! By beautiful face! Gilbert, what ze hell was that for?!" The Frenchman whined, rubbing his cheek.

Matthew smiled. "…I feel good also…!" earning a heavy hand clap on his back from his brother that made the Canadian almost lose his glasses. "Way to go, Mattie!"

"Ve, I fell okay too!" Feliciano chirped, letting Romano go.

Romano however wasn't okay with that. "No way in _hell_, Feli. You're not going _anywhere_! You just recovered!"

"But, Romanooooo!" Feliciano whined.

"How about this…!" Tino stood up, finally, from the dog pile of Nordics. "…It's morning, so the people who have wet clothes get to change, and the woulded ones get patched up properly. Then we all could have breakfast, and then go play. Does that sound good?"

"Hell yeah! Breakfast!" Mathias, Alfred and Gilbert exclaimed in unison, excited and hungry looks in their eyes.

The majority of the Rock gang facepalmed, and the new day started.

* * *

_…Back to somewhere else…_

Antonio hugged the gold pile he was sitting on, and sighed. _He_ had beaten him up again, the punishment for entering _his_ room without permission. _He _had also given him orders, and like al the other times, he couldn't refuse. He hated when that happened… he felt powerless. Antonio hissed, remembering that he was only a… a black rook in a grand game of some sort. And what did it mean, Gilbert and the others weren't eliminated? Where were they then? And of course, _he _had not bothered to explain him anything, about why he had to do what he had to do, or why this _Feliciano_ was so dangerous in the first place. He frowned, and hugged the gold pile tighter. He was thinking about the white queen, and about the piece's oddity. Was she-

His stomach rumbled, interrupting his thoughts.

He was hungry again. He felt like something was scratching his chest from the inside, his guts burned, and his throat felt dry and sandpaper-like…

He furiously shook his head. No…! Already?! Why?! It was too soon! He didn't want-

Oh hell _yes_ he did. He wanted, longed to…_eat_.

No…! It was wrong…!

But maybe…they could have gold with them… didn't he like gold?

…Gold?

Yes, pretty pretty gold…

Antonio licked his teeth, not having lips anymore, a strange light sparking in his eyes. Yes, gold would do… He felt empty.

…Hungry…

_He_ entered his room, almost as if feeling his hunger. Antonio hissed, hugging the gold pile even tighter. _He_ would _not_ touch any of his precious gold…!

**"Do not fret, I do not desire your gold, Antonio. I understand you're hungry, да? You'll have to wait a little more, my Rook. Just a little while. Understood?"**

Antonio answered with a growl, but nodded. He had to obey, after all.

**"Good."**

The Sentient Nightmare left the RED and his golden room. The dark figure chuckled to itself.

It was just like with the ancient Romans… they had posed the finest example. Don't feed the lions for a couple of days, and their performance at the games will be spectacular, fighting the gladiators.

There is no place for hesitation, memories or even emotions, when a beast is _hungry_.

* * *

**...aaaand, CUT!**

**Antonio is kinda dealing with mindfucks, and Ivan is still obsessing over chess pieces. Things are going to get ugly.**

**But hey, "Player obtained a Prussia!" (Legend of Zelda music of finding an object)**

**Ah, the Rock gang is all together and happy! aren't they cute? :3**

**random fact: i recently noticed that Romano in some fanfics exclaimes with 'holy crapola', so i became curious of what it actually meant. well, its a word that begins with 'crap' so obviously sounds like a swear word, and i think that's why its used...**

**turns out 'crapola' does not exist, but 'crapula' does(and its a verb), and it means "guzzle"... weird.**

**anyway! i hope you enjoyed the chapter! i hope you are all well, and stay awesome! have a nice weekend! ;)**

**[PS...I'm thinking of making a mafia fanfic, featuring the italy bros...what would you think? im definitely finishing Nightmare Apocalypse first, but im kinda toying with this idea]**

**_Je suis désolé, Sourcils : _**_(french) i'm sorry, eyebrows_

**_Willkommen zurück : _**_(german) welcome back_

**_Danke :_**_ (german) thank you_

**_Scusa, fratellone... : _**_(italian) sorry, big brother.._

**_Kyllä : _**_(finnish) yes_

_**да :**__ (russian) yes_


	27. Something Fishy

**"****_It's Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday, everybody's lookin' forward-_****"**

***BANG BANG BANG***

**Shut up, rebecca black. So now, where were we?  
ah yeah, the story. here's the new chapter! author rant at the end, and i will warn you now because it will be a long one ._.**

**anohow, sit back und...**

** ENJOY**

* * *

Feliciano didn't feel really good.

After breakfast, the gang had started an 'epic soccer showdown', like Alfred and Gilbert would put it. It was Team Awesome versus Team Hero, and Yao was the referee, saying he was too old to play games like soccer. Arthur and Berwald had gone to the medical room, and the Brit probably was going to try and fix the Swede's eyes, finally. Lukas had proposed to assist, but Arthur had refused. He had to do this 'alone', for reasons unknown. "Probably British-ass pride." Alfred shrugged.

Anyway, as Team Awesome was leading the game (7-4) Ludwig noticed that the small Italian stumbled quite a few times over his own feet. He always managed to catch himself in time before face-firsting the ground, but still, he didn't look so good.

Ludwig was suddenly reminded of Feliciano's hand, and the fact he had just cured Gilbert, and… Matthew (he had problems remembering the American's twin's name, somehow).

After the umpteenth time Feliciano stumbled, Ludwig caught him before he could fall.

"Watch out, Feli."

Feliciano laughed nervously, standing up again. "Ve! Hehehe, sorry, Ludd! I'm just clumsy, and a bit tired, I guess…"

Ludwig raised an eyebrow. "'Ludd'…?"

The Italian smiled. "Yes! It's shorter for Ludwig, and sounds cuter!"

The blond blinked, and then shook his head, not believing what he had just heard. Many people had had many adjectives to call him, but none of them had ever been 'cute'. "You look awful, Feliciano. I think you should get checked by Arthur again."

"Ve…but what about the game?" Feliciano pouted.

Ludwig started pushing the Italian in the medical's room direction. "The game can carry on without us. Hey Jones! We're leaving, Feliciano needs to rest!"

"Sure thing dude! Feli, sleep well okay? You deserve it, bro!" the American waved them goodbye, before resuming the game.

The two of them got to the medical room, but saw the curtain was closed. Lacking any kind of doors, the only thing that could provide at least a bit of privacy was a curtain. So Ludwig politely called out (knocking obviously not being possible). "Hey, Arthur?"

At the same moment, the curtain was raised, and Berwald stepped out. He looked surprised to see them.

Wait.

He could _see _again!

Feliciano clapped his hands. "Berwald! You can see again!"

The Swede nodded, the corners of his mouth twitching (=smiling). Indeed, behind a pair of miraculously restored glasses, shone a pair of equally miraculously restored eyes. The icy blue orbs were back to normal, and apparently the eyesight was as well. The only difference was that two thin scar lines were running horizontally over from one ear to the other, passing over the eyelids and the bridge of his nose. "Hn, _ja_. Arth'r m'naged t' restore th'm, th'nkfully…!"

Feliciano improvised a happy dance with the Swede. "Yay yay yay! I'm so happy right now!"  
Ludwig stood a bit aside, arms folded, nodding and smiling as well. "_Mein Gott_, it's almost like a miracle, Berwald…! Congratulations for your recovery…!"

"Ve, ve, ve…! Oh!" the Italian suddenly looked like he had remembered something. "You should tell the others! Most of all, Tino!"

Berwald nodded, mouth corners twitching again. And did he _blush_ slightly at the mention of Tino's name? "Of c'urse. I'm g'ing…!"

The Swede left, and Feliciano turned to look at Ludwig. "Aren't you happy too? He can see again! Now Lukas can stop blaming himself!"

The German blinked. Had Feliciano noticed the Norwegian's attitude…? Oh well. "Yes, of course I'm happy for him. I do not know what I would do if I suddenly became blind. I probably would surrender to the idea of not being ever able to see again, so… if I recovered, I would be overjoyed."

Feliciano nodded happily, curl bouncing up and down with each nod. He called out to the Brit, like he had seen Ludwig do earlier. "Ve, Arthur!"

Silence came from the other side, but after almost half a minute, the Brit answered. "…Yes…?" He sounded awfully tired.

Both Feliciano and Ludwig frowned. "Arthur, are you feeling alright?" Feliciano asked.

Again, a long pause. "…Yes…the spell just tired me out a bit… could you wait for a couple of minutes…? I suppose this is about Feliciano's hand…?"

"_Ja_. We'll wait." Ludwig agreed. He turned to look worried at Feliciano. "You still are as pale as a ghost. How do you feel?"

The Italian laughed nervously again. "Don't worry, really, Ludd…! I'm feeling tired, that's all…" Feliciano smiled, and laughed yet again. He couldn't help it, he felt so lighthearted!

"You can enter…" The weak voice of the Englishman said, and they both stepped inside.

* * *

Francis wiped his forehead. Ah, sport was so tiring, and it did no good to his hair… well, without shampoo or balsam of any sort for more than a year, and without a good warm shower or a comb, his hair would probably be ruined forever. He was also feeling the beginning of a headache. Better stop playing, then, no?

He sighed, as he raised his hand. "Ah, guys, I think I will take a break."

"What?! Not you too, francypants!" Alfred whined. "We'll have uneven numbers!"

Lukas stepped beside the Frenchman. "I'll take a break as well. And I'm thirsty, are you not?"

Francis nodded, lying. "_Oui._ Well then, _adieu_!" He winked, as he left the mirror cave in which the match was held. Alfred pouted, but they resumed playing anyway.

As the two got to the dining cave, Francis sank in the nearest couch, holding his forehead. "Oh my, I think I might be getting a headache."

The Norwegian leaned onto the table, in front of him, arms folded. "So you have headaches too?"

Francis' head snapped up. "Wh-what?" he stammered.

Lukas huffed, a bored look on his face. "Do my eyes glow, Francis?"

The Frenchman was silent for a couple of seconds, but then answered. "_Oui,_ they do. Not right now, but…"  
"…In the dark. Just like yours."

Francis nodded, looking at the ground.

"…What does it mean?" Lukas asked.

He shook his head. "I don't know. And I'm sure that if we brought Gilbert to a dark place, his eyes would glow too." Francis grimaced, as the headache got worse.

"Yes, I agree. I wouldn't worry, though." Lukas said, looking elsewhere.

Francis looked up again. "Not worry? Why?"

"Well, considering what we…" the Norwegian paused. "…What we had become, it's already a miracle that we were cured in the first place. I think…that these 'things'" he pointed to his eyes "The whole eyes thing, and the headaches, are like only a…leftover, a reminder, of what we were, and of…_him_ messing with our heads."

Francis shook his head again, but then immediately regretted it because of the headache. "Ah, I honestly don't know. And, truth to be said, I don't _want_ to know either." He leaned back in the sofa, forearm over his face.

"I understand how you feel."

A pause.

"Shall I get you some water? You look like you need some."

Francis nodded, thankful. "Yes, please. Ah, what I would give to have an aspirin right now."

* * *

Arthur was lying on the medical room yet again. He panted, chest hurt, and he felt, quite literally, like shit. The healing spell on Berwald's eyes had required more energy than he thought, but had succeeded anyway.

He weakly smiled as Feliciano and Ludwig entered the room. "Why hello there."

Ludwig's gaze darkened, obviously worried of the Brit's appearance, which didn't look too good. His bandaged torso was still spotted in a dice-like pattern, even if five wounds out of six had almost completely healed. The only still serious one was the one through his lung, but even that one was healing well. The Brit was paler than usual, not only because of the lack of sunlight but because of his weak condition and the spell.

Feliciano skipped inside, also looking tired but definitely more cheerful. "Hi Arthur! How are you feeling? And what did you draw on your hand?"

Arthur smiled weakly. "Ah, I'm feeling peachy, thank you for your concern, Feliciano. As for this…" He raised his left hand, covered with black scribbles made with a marker. "…this was for Berwald's eyes." He shrugged.

Feliciano nodded, eyes as wide as saucers, staring in awe at the black symbols. "Oooooooooh." He sat down on one chair, and noticed that some kind of chalk circle had been drawn on one of the tables against the wall, also with strange symbols.

Ludwig simply stood, all chairs (ergo: one) taken and the medical table in the middle used by the Brit.

Arthur raised one eyebrow. "So, Feliciano. Let's see how your hand's doing, hm?"

Feliciano nodded again. "Ok!" He unwrapped the bandages of the hand, and as they came off…

"Veee!" the Italian yelped. Ludwig frowned, coming closer and a worried look on his face. Arthur couldn't yet see, but his eyes widened when Feliciano raised the hand up so he could see as well.

The white 'thing' had not changed, it still glowed as before.

However… the blue scales had spread, in a vein-like pattern, over almost all of the hand. Some scales even reached the tip of his fingers (nor Feliciano nor Ludwig, or anyone else for that matter, had noticed that before, somehow), and others his wrist. In the places where there were more scales, they had merged together, creating one solid hard, yet flexible, blue shell. It awfully reminded all three of them of…RED armour.

Tears of fear were already pooling in the Italian's hazel orbs. "W-w-w-what's happening?!" he stammered.

Arthur was immediately serious, and took Feliciano's hand in his, observing more closely the scales. "Ah, it seems like the scales are spreading…"

"Say something that we don't know already." Ludwig grumbled, frowning.

The Brit blinked. How unusual of Ludwig to be so impolite. But he probably was just worried, like they all were. "Feliciano, you cured Gilbert, right?"

Feliciano nodded, looking at his hand as if it were an alien thing. "A-a-and I cured M-Matthew as well…"

Arthur raised one eyebrow. "Who?"

"Jones' brother." Ludwig mumbled.

"Oh." Arthur seemed to have somehow forgotten about the American's twin. "Why did you cure him?"

"W-well, he had been scratched by a N-Nightmare, so…" Feliciano's voice was trembling, still shaken of his hand's appearance.

"Aha. I get it." Arthur said. "…You knew that 'this' was going to happen, when you cured both of them, right?"

"Y-yes! But they both needed t-t-to be cured! O-otherwise Matthew would be a Nightmare now, and, and, and Gilbert would still be a R-RED…!"

Ludwig put his hand on the ranting Italian's shoulder. "Calm down, Feliciano." He paused, and saw he was still panting. "Breathe through your nose."

Feliciano did as he was told, and really did his best to calm down, but somehow he couldn't. "L-Ludd? I'm scared…!"

"Don't worry. It's going to be alright." The German hushed him. Arthur smiled weakly, despite himself. Ludwig was feeling protective over Feliciano, and it looked…cute, to say the least. And both he(Arthur) and the German knew that what he had just said was a lie. _Nobody_ knew if it was going to be alright…

"I think we can all agree this looks…this definitely looks like RED armour." Arthur stated.

It turned out to be the worst thing to say. Feliciano freaked out, crying and ranting.

"VE?! No! Why? _Perchè?_ I don't wanna be a RED! I can't be one! Right? Right?! I didn't do anything! Veee! Please don't throw me out! I'm not a RED! I-"

"Feliciano _calm down!_" Ludwig put both hands heavily on the spazzing Italian, and kneeled before him. "He didn't say you were a RED. And you definitely are not. He only said it 'looked like'. So calm down. Please." To say the truth, the blond felt very concerned about the Italian right now. He looked like a frightened kid, tears streaming down his face and looking around like a trapped animal. And…he had grown protective over the little guy. He just looked so…innocent and vulnerable. "Shhh. Calm down. It's alright." He squeezed Feliciano's shoulders encouragingly.

Feliciano sniffed. "I-I-I-I'm not one of th-th-them!"

"We know. Breathe, Feliciano." Ludwig said, staring deep into the brunette's eyes.

The Italian took a shaky deep breath, and then swallowed. "C-Continue, Arthur…?" he said, unsure.

Arthur carefully chose his words. He definitely didn't want to upset Feliciano anymore. "As I was saying, this _looks like_ RED armour. But you are not a RED. REDs are some kind of blend of Nightmares and humans, and they do not have weak spots. That thing on your hand looks like a Nightmare weak spot, but it is solid, almost crystal-like, unlike 'normal' weak spots. You are neither a Nightmare, nor a RED, Feliciano. We had this kind of conversation before, remember?"

Feliciano slowly nodded, using a sleeve to dry his cheeks and unceremoniously clean his nose.

Ludwig sighed, relieved he had calmed down at last. He looked up at Feliciano (after all, he was still kneeling). "Feliciano, I have to ask something."

Feliciano nodded, sniffing one last time. "U-um, yes?"

"What happened last night? When we walked outside, to get some fresh air. You weren't feeling well, do you remember?"  
The Italian looked up, thinking. "Uh, I…I had sensed a RED, b-but didn't want to believe it… I convinced myself it was a bad dream. But I… I kind of passed out…? I don't know, the last thing I remember is you and me getting outside, and then it all gets hazy… Then I woke up in a totally different place, and met Emil and the others…"

Ludwig shook his head, and glanced sideways at Arthur. They both knew something was wrong, someone didn't just pass out like that. But then again, Feliciano was 'special', in some kind of way. But they didn't say anything. If they wondered things like that aloud in that moment, Feliciano would probably panic a second time.

"A-and there's something else I don't get," Feliciano continued. "When Lukas came here, I knew it was a RED. So did I when I sensed Gilbert. But...I didn't feel anything with Francis...Isn't that strange?" he asked, unsure.

Arthur sighed, shaking his head. "Feliciano, I feel powerless, but I have to admit that I don't have the faintest idea of what is happening. I can only hope for the best…! Now, let's bandage that again, shall we?"

Feliciano slowly nodded, and watched as Arthur's expert fingers bandaged his hand again, this time covering the fingers and wrist as well. When he was done, the Brit patted the hand lightly. "There, all done. Now, I think we should have a… oh bugger, forgive me for the unoriginal name: 'Rock meeting'."

Ludwig and Feliciano blinked. "And why is that?" the blond asked.

"Well, obviously there is only one RED left. Antonio, if I'm not mistaken. The Sentient sent Francis, Lukas and Gilbert, and they were obviously sent for a reason. They have to know something, at least. About this Antonio. About the Sentient and maybe whatever it's planning, even!" Arthur said. "They should tell us anything they know, so we could prepare properly for an eventual attack."

Ludwig nodded, understanding. He helped Feliciano stand up, and the Italians wobbled on his feet. "Ve... I'm tired… can I go sleep before this…this 'Meeting'?"

"Of course. We'll leave, Arthur. You rest too. I'll tell the others."  
And that being said, they left. Feliciano faintly heard cheering echoing through the caves, and assumed Berwald had made his entrance. He smiled, imagining them all surrounding the Swede, Mathias most probably trying to glomp him. He then imagined Tino, probably overjoyed, like all the others. Things were looking better, somehow.

* * *

A couple of hours later, the Rock gang all came together for the meeting. The chairs weren't enough, so some people had to settle down on pillows, like Kiku did.

There were all small conversations between them. As Feliciano came plodding in, rubbing his eyes and yawning, Gilbert stood up and took the small Italian in a bone-crushing hug, making him yelp in surprise. "Ah, Feliciano! Thank you so much! Thank you! They told me everything, and I admit you are almost as awesome as me! Which is a really big compliment, by the way."

"Ve-! Gh!"

"Gil, I don't think he's breathing." Ludwig rolled his eyes. Gilbert simply laughed, and put the wheezing Italian down, patting on his head.

Arthur clapped his hands once to get everyone's attention. He didn't stand up from his couch, for obvious reasons. "Alright everyone. I induced this meeting for a reason. I think we were all introduced to the newcomers, and I assume everyone knows what happened last night." He paused, and some nodded. "Okay. Right now, we need to focus on things at hand. For instance, Gilbert. I'd like to ask you some questions."  
The albino grinned, liking the attention, as he sat down again. "Shoot, Eyebrows!"

Arthur's said eyebrows twitched, but he ignored the nickname. "What did the Sentient order you to do last night? Why did Feliciano act like that? And what are the Sentient's schemes?"

Gilbert blinked. "Whoa, that's a whole shitload of questions." A slap echoed in the cave, Ludwig back-head-slapping his brother. "It's not his fault you can't count, _dummkopf_."

"Ow! Hey, that was un-awesome, Lutz! And I _can_ count."

"Whatever. Now answer the guy, we're all waiting."

Gilbert pouted, rubbing the back of his head, but then straightened up. "Well…he, the Sentient, was all mad because Francis and Lukas had disappeared. We all had to look for his 'mistake'." He nodded towards Feliciano, who uncomfortably fiddled with the bandages of his hand.

"He…he said I had to come to this desert, however I had to stay away from the mountain. For one reason or the other, the 'mistake' would come walking out on his own, he said."

Everyone was looking or at Gilbert, or at Feliciano. The latter was averting everyone's gazes, looking down at his fiddling hands.

Arthur coughed. "Ehm. He did not tell you why?"  
Gilbert shook his head. "Nope."

"Did you even know what Feliciano could do?"

Gilbert shook his head again. "No, he didn't tell us anything. Just that he was a mistake, that he was _dangerous_," he stressed the last word sarcastically, everyone knowing that Feliciano didn't look dangerous at all. "…we had to find him and bring him back, alive. Actually, he changed that last order with me. He told me I had to bring him to the city in which there were three other humans with a tank, and make sure Feliciano met up with them. I do not know why though, he didn't explain, like always."

Feliciano shivered, and Kiku put a comforting hand on the Italian's shoulder. Feliciano swallowed. Why was that…that Sentient looking for him? Probably because he could cure Nightmares and REDs. But then why did he want him to meet up with Yao, Emil and Matthew? And…Matthew had been infected… But it would make no sense, to want him to cure people, right? Feliciano swallowed again, worried. He didn't have the faintest clue of what was happening. But still, he felt uncomfortable, to really have something called… an enemy. This Sentient was looking for him, and definitely not to invite him eating pasta together. Something about wanting him alive made it scarier than wanting to kill him.

Arthur continued. "And so, do you know his plans?"

"Again…no. He had three chess boards in his room, but refused to explain us what all the pieces meant. Actually, he _never_ told us why we had to do the stuff he ordered us, lately. I'm sorry, but I can't help that much…" Gilbert sighed, and Arthur did too.

"However…" The albino glanced sideways to Lukas and Francis. "…there is one thing you should all be worried about."  
"What is it?" Mathias asked, curious.

Gilbert turned dramatically to the Dane. "Antonio." Francis and Lukas slowly nodded in approval.

Feliciano saw Romano tense up beside him, and Bella covered her mouth with one hand. "…W-What about him?" she asked.

Francis answered, leaning towards her. "He…he is the one who is most 'fucked up', _cher_."

"Why?" Tino asked.

Gilbert shrugged. "I guess I should tell you everything about him, since the Sentient will probably send him next. Well, he usually is the calmest one. However, he also is the most _unpredictable_ one." He paused. "He was 'chosen' because of his Greed, so not only he craves for anything that has the smallest value, but he also retained all of his memories intact. Of when he was, you know, still human. So, because of that Greed, he mostly likes gold and gems, and he also is the one who gets hungrier the fastest. The hunger clashes with his conscience and memories, so usually gets angry real quick for apparently no reason; those times you have to stay away from him, if you don't want to be burned to an un-awesome crisp."

"B'rned?" Berwald mumbled.

Lukas nodded. "Antonio's ability grants him control over fire. His armour is deep red, and the mask only covers the lower half of his face."

"…_His mouth_." Romano whispered, looking down.

Lukas and Gilbert nodded. "Ah-huh. He has the sharpest teeth I have ever seen. Knowing the Sentient, he probably won't permit Antonio to…to…" Gilbert gulped, having difficulties pronouncing the word. "…to _eat_ for a couple of days…enough to get him freaking hungry. And when that happens… Antonio loses it, and also starts eating inorganic stuff, even if that really doesn't fill him at all. I once caught him chewing on a metal scrap coming from a car. Also…do you know how crocodiles hunt?"

Feliciano saw Romano grimace, head bowed down, but nobody else seemed to notice. The Italian's fists were closed tightly, knuckles white.

"Dude, do you mean…the 'death roll'?" Alfred suggested, eyes widening.

Francis sighed, leaning back in his chair. "_Oui,_ something like that."

"Excuse me, but… W-What is a 'death roll'?" Kiku asked, worried.

"It's a technique those reptiles use when hunting. The crocodile chomps down on its prey…" Lukas moved his hands, and curved his fingers mimicking a crocodile's jaws, "…and then starts rolling on itself, throwing the prey off balance and tearing away the flesh."

Everyone at the table gasped, and Feliciano gulped.

Gilbert continued. "Well, its not like Toni starts rolling or whatsoever, but you got what I mean."

Everyone at the table gulped or shifted uncomfortable in their seats, silent.

Suddenly, Arthur's head snapped up. "He knows…!"

"What nonsense are you blabbering about now, _Sourcils?_ Who knows?" Francis groaned.

The Brit looked left and right. "The Sentient knows! He knows where we all are! Lukas got here by pure chance, following my magic trail. But he, the Sentient, _sent_ Gilbert to the desert, knowing Feliciano would come out. He knows this place!" his voice escalated in anxiety, realisation sinking in. His wound through the lung gave a sharp jab of pain, and the Brit hissed, covering his chest with one hand, trying his hardest not to cough.

"Dudes, Artie is right!" Alfred jumped up. "This place isn't safe!"

"Do you think we should leave, aru?" Yao suggested.

"Where to?" Mathias said.

"How am I supposed to know that!?"

Everybody started talking to each other, worried and panicking.

However, everyone shut up as Ludwig slammed his fist on the table. "Everybody calm down!" He barked. "Nobody is going anywhere. As far as we know, _this_ is the safest place to stay. However!" he raised a hand and the level of his voice, when Alfred tried interrupting him. "We should prepare for anything. Prepared to fight, prepared to flee. I don't want to let the Nightmares win in _any _way. Not now, not ever."

Silence lasted for a few seconds.

"He's r'ght" Berwald grumbled, finally.

"What?! You serious, Sve?!"

Again, all hell broke loose, but after a good ten minutes, everyone agreed to Ludwig's suggestion: get out every weapon they had and move anything useful to the jeep and the tank in case of a sudden retreat God knows where. They all started moving, seemingly randomly but somehow organised.

"Dude, it will never fit! We are fifteen dudes, so how are we supposed to bring food and other stuff with us?!"

"Let me guess, you are not good in organizing, aru."

"Hey!"  
"Well, how much space do you have in that tank? I didn't see it, so…"  
"…There's plenty of space for at least five people, and if we squeeze I think even seven could fit…"

"Did you hear something?"  
"_Hai…_ It was the wind, I think."  
"…Maple…"  
"Hey! You un-awesome people didn't hear what he said!"

"Who said what?"

"…I think I'll go to bed…"

After everyone had gone to bed, Ludwig sat down heavily on one of the chairs in the dining room. It had turned out that the tank had plenty of space, and that they could stack at least three boxes of food and goods inside the vehicle, in the empty spaces between the various machinery. Feliciano had helped selecting and then carrying the boxes, but had looked tired, so everyone had told him to sit and rest. So there they were, the two of them.

"Ludd…can I ask you something?" The Italian whispered at one point.

Ludwig nodded, smiling a little, despite the situation, at the nickname. "_Ja._ What is it?"

"Why is the Sentient…I mean…he can control Nightmares, right?" Feliciano fiddled with his hands.  
"What do you mean?"

"…Why did he send only Gilbert? He could have sent a lot of Nightmares, and killed us, if he knew where we were…! Why didn't he do that?"

Ludwig suddenly was alert. "Are you suggesting…he's going _easy _on us?!"

Feliciano squeaked at the German's sudden rise in volume. "I-I don't know! I only thought it was strange!"

The German frowned, sitting back again. "Damn it, the bastard is only _toying_ with us? But why sacrifice his men then? His REDs?"

Feliciano stayed silent, not knowing what to answer. Ludwig briefly wondered why Feliciano had been kidnapped in the first place. If he posed such a threat to the Sentient, why did he want him alive, and why didn't Gilbert bring him back immediately? Why bring him to another city, where he would meet three other humans? It was all very suspicious and strange, but alas, he could find no answer. Also, when he just thought about Feliciano's hand, his guts would stir involuntarily. He had a bad feeling about it, and was worried for the Italian…however he did not say a thing, knowing Feliciano would probably freak out.

After a couple of minutes, they decided to go to bed too. "Well, uhm… _Gute nacht._" "_Buonanotte…_"

Feliciano slept well, despite the still repeating nightmare of him falling over and over again.

* * *

_…Somewhere else…_

The Sentient looked almost bored. Almost. But that was because almost all his face was covered with a plain mask. A pair of violet eyes was glinting in delight.

He looked at the chess boards, in particular at the cluster of white pieces.

**"Ah, humans aren't completely stupid after all, then. That mountain is a fortress …"**

He picked up random black pieces, however not touching the black Rook near the black King.

**"…Should I move my Nightmares, hm?"**

He scattered the black pieces all around the white group.

**"And good Feliciano will obviously feel them coming, and lead them…to safety."**

He moved all white pieces to the third and almost empty board.

**"Or so he thinks. So then…"**

The black Rook was picked up and positioned near the white Queen.  
**"Antonio will do as ordered…and fail, like the others."**

He toppled the Rook at the Queen's feet.

The Sentient Nightmare joined his fingertips together, elbows resting on the chess board, gaze locked onto the white Queen.

**"And then… perfect."**

Suddenly heard a thud, and something shattering. Ah, Antonio was growing restless already.

**"Another couple of days, my Rook. Although without any snack, I'm afraid."  
**A snarl echoed trough the building, followed by a frustrated roar, and something exploding.

**"…I can only hope he doesn't burn all of my furniture, hahaha…"**

* * *

**MEIN GOTT i hated writing this chapter. I don't know, it just was difficult. it has a lot of explainings and clues, and i had to organize them logically, while in my head they just run about randomly. and its all stuff i already know, so it was also kind of boring... I WANT ACTION! *grumble grumble* well, in the next chapter there will be some moar explanations, clues, but also, finally, action! fufufufu...!**

**ah, i finally uploaded two drawings (on deviantart, of course); the first one is the moment right after feliciano cured matthew (...who?), while in the second one gilbert appears for the first time on the battlefield ^^**

**/art/Nightmare-Apocalypse-Hetalia-Who-are-you-3696 04932**

**/art/Nightmare-Apocalypse-Hetalia-He-s-mine-369606 090**

**aha. right there, sweeeet! oh, and if you like imagining how Feliciano's hand is looking like, look up 'devil may cry 4 nero' up on google images. it kind of looks like that. kind of.**

**weather here is rampaging like crazy, i think there is a weather button somewhere and some idiot is playing with it. seriously, i don't know what i have to wear when i go out, because the weather changes every 20 minutes, going from hot to freezing cold. **

**Either spring is being late again, or is totally on time but has some serious identity crysis. GAH!**

**Also, a big, huge, enormous, massive, gargantuan, colossal, monumental, titanic THANKS to _P3ace9797, _who totally helped me out with finding something i desperatedly needed for my plot! :D**

**...aaaand i should be studying history. i have a test tomorrow about the WHOLE french revolution... Francis, i never hated you so much! *flips table***

**anyway! i will leave you with these lyrics, i hope you are all well and have a nice weekend! ;)**

**_["What are you talking about? America is not going to be destroyed."_****  
****_"...Never? _**

**_..._****_Rome was destroyed. Greece was destroyed. Persia was destroyed. Spain was destroyed._**

**_All great countries are destroyed. _**

**_Why not yours?_**

**_How much longer do you really think your own country will last?_**

**...  
****_Forever?"]_**

**_[Rise Against - Survivor Guilt]_**

_**Mein Gott :**__ (german) my God_

_**Adieu :**__ (french) so long/later/farewell_

_**Perchè?**__**:**__ (italian) why?_

**_Dummkopf :_**_ (german) idiot_

**_Cher :_**_ (french) dear_

**_Sourcils :_**_ (french) Eyebrows_

**_Gute nacht :_**_ (german) goodnight_

**_Buonanotte :_**_ (italian) goodnight_


	28. Last Stronghold

**Dumm-dee-dum... Lalala-**

**Wait, WHAT?!**

**An update?! Already, after two days?! And it's also the longest chapter I ever wrote?! WHAT!?**

**And WE HIT 10.000+ VIEWS! 220 reviews! 54 faves, and 58 follows! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! I will make you all pasta when this is done! **

**Euh, so yeah. The chapter! (Author rant at end of chapter, as usual...!)**

**I should warn you, A LOT happens in this chapter. So yeah.**

**Sit back und...ENJOY**

* * *

Antonio rocketed back and forth, sitting on the ground and clutching his head. It had been five days since _he _had entered his room, and it had been more than a _week_ since he had last eaten.

He was starting to lose it, he knew that. He could feel it, his control was slipping. And he couldn't do anything about it.

He knew _he _had something terrible planned, if _he_ wanted him famished. And it made him extremely angry. He seethed, however he had to calm down. Fast.

Back and forth. Back and forth. Keep calm. Breathe through your nose. Antonio tried singing a song to himself to keep it together, but he couldn't remember any. So he just started humming a random tune to himself. Good. Distract yourself. Don't think about the burning need, the _emptiness_, in your stomach. Don't.

Back and forth. Back and forth. Ha, he was already feeling better. See? He already forgot about-

Antonio's head snapped up, and a fierce growl came from deep inside his throat. He was _HUNGRY!_

He bowed his head again, as fast as it had snapped up. _No_. He was _not_. He was _stronger_ than that. He _didn't_ need that. He closed his eyes shut.

Back and forth. Back and forth. Hum. Hum like a boss. Hum like there's nothing else to do in the world but humming. When he opened his eyes, calmed down again, he saw a small pendant on the ground at his feet. Golden, of course. It glinted, calling out for him. Antonio stopped oscillating and reached out a clawed hand to grab it, gently, as if it could shatter any moment. He softly stroked the smooth surface. Ah, gold was so pretty. It was precious, and its colour was the most beautiful one in the world. Just like the eyes of…

The pendant clattered on the hard ground, as it slipped through his fingers. Antonio was staring into nothingness, his bright green eyes lost somewhere in space. _Whose_ eyes? Whose eyes were that colour…? That beautiful colour… Golden… No, actually, the eyes of that person weren't golden… They were hazel, but they had a golden-like shimmer to them, and bright goldenrod speckles…right? Whose eyes were that?! What was his name?!

His breathing became faster, as he got worked up. Who was that?! Why couldn't he remember?! He had always remembered that person! Why did he disappear!? No! He didn't want that! He wanted that person back! He had been different from the other REDs because he could remember! So why-

A sudden pain in his head interrupted his thoughts, and Antonio groaned, touching his forehead. He hunched over on all-fours, golden coins tinkling around him. He felt his control slipping more and more.

His stomach felt like an enormous burning black pit. He felt so empty…he was starving, he could think of who that person was another time…

No! That person was important! It was... he was the last thing that had kept him a bit human!

…He could try and remember him when his belly would be full, right? There would be plenty of time, then…

…But-

_Hungry_.

His hand went to cover his abdomen, and he slowly got to his knees. Then, he sat down. If he'd had lips, he would be smiling. Antonio looked up, a strange light in his eyes, and growled softly. The clawed hand tightened the grip on the fabric of his clothes.

Who cared of a single, puny, human person. He _needed_ to eat.

He licked his teeth.

Hopefully he would be allowed to, soon. He was getting tired of waiting.

* * *

_…The Rock, two days later…_

A week had passed since Gilbert had been cured. The Rock gang was living peacefully, even if a bit worried of the uncertain future. Arthur was making a steady recovery, and his lung wound had almost completely healed. He could even walk on his own now, although he tired quickly.

Feliciano went to check his hand daily with Ludwig, however nothing changed. That calmed the three of them down, even if only momentarily.

Gilbert was always hanging around with Francis, and he befriended Alfred and Mathias in particular. Even without any alcohol, they somehow managed to act like they had had plenty of it, and brightened up their evenings (or supplied headaches, in Ludwig, Arthur and Lukas' case).

One morning, Ludwig sat at the dining table, playing a solitaire with cards. He had woken up pretty early, it wasn't even dawn yet, and nobody was around.

He sighed, as he flipped another card. Oh, great, another Jack. He was stuck again. He'd have to restart the game for the third time already.

As he shuffled the cards, Ludwig heard someone approaching. He expected Kiku, Arthur or Tino, for they also were early risers. However when he looked up, to his surprise, the man stepping in the cave was… Gilbert.

Well, that was an unusual sight.

Back before the Disaster, Gilbert always needed to be kicked out of bed by his brother around 11 am., or else he wouldn't get up at all. He smiled, remembering the good days. He also made a…joke about it.

"Huh, _bruder_? What are _you_ doing here? Is a second Disaster coming?"

The albino grinned as he came nearer. "Kesesesese! By now there definitely is one, 'coz my grumpy little brother made a joke! An actually real one!"

Ludwig sighed smiling, as he laid down the cards on the table and restarted his game. Gilbert sat down, leaning back in the sofa.

"_Ja, ja, _very funny. So, what's the real reason you are awake?"

"Ah, I couldn't sleep. Just headache, nothing serious." Gilbert waved a hand smiling. Suddenly, his smile faded, a serious expression forming itself instead. "Hey Ludwig, I want to be serious now. I have to tell you something."

Ludwig blinked. His brother was standing up early, not calling him 'Lutz' _and _being serious? "Who are you, and what did you do to _mein bruder_?" He joked, but he was actually worried. What did his brother have to say, to be so serious?

Gilbert didn't reply for a couple of seconds, stunned, but then burst out laughing. Not his signature hissing laugh, but a truly amused one. "Bwahahahaha! Oh, _Gott_, _I_ should be the one asking that now! Two jokes on one day? Please, don't strain yourself too much, Lutz, or you'll actually learn to _smile_ too! Hahaha! Oh, my stomach!" He was laughing so hard he wasn't sitting straight anymore, but tilted to one side. His shoulders were shaking with each laugh, and he almost couldn't breathe. Ludwig groaned, eyebrow twitching. Yes, it was Gilbert alright.

"Okay, okay. Vhat did you have to say, spill it." Ludwig said, flipping a card.

"Hohoho…O-okay! Kesese!" Gilbert snickered. He took a deep breath, and straightened his back again. "Ah, there's two things I want to talk to you about…" he looked quizzically at the blond, who didn't say anything this time, instead motioning him to continue.

"…Right. First things first, Lutz. I have to apologize in, ah, I don't know how many fucking languages. About what I did, and said, you know…" He made a vague gesture with his hand.

The blond swallowed, remembering the cruel words Gilbert had spoken four days earlier. "You don't have to apologize, you know… You weren't you…"

The albino smiled a hollow smile. "Yeah, I know. But still…" He paused. "That asshole fucked me up so much, Lutz, I want to make him _pay_. But I can't even remember where his hiding place is... so I kinda feel useless."

Ludwig looked down at the solitaire game, not saying anything. However he had had a question for his brother, for quite a long time actually… "Hey, Gilbert."

"…_Ja?_"

"What happened…that day?"

Both knew fairly well what day he was referring to.

Gilbert looked elsewhere. "Eh…Well…Er…" He gulped. "Ah, whatever. It's the past now. You remember when we got out of the building, and it was all creepy silent and shit?"

Ludwig nodded, still looking at the cards. He focused his gaze on a Queen of Spades, that was currently lying near his right hand, while he listened to his brother.

"…I, well, I saw this _thing_, through the smoke. I recognised it immediately, it was the Nightmare that I had tried shooting down and that looked completely human. We didn't know it was a Sentient back then, huh? He was still far away, but definitely going for us. At least, for _me_. I was sure he had seen me, through the plumes of smoke and mist and God knows what else. And I knew, in that exact moment, that we were screwed. I don't know how, but I just knew that. We wouldn't survive. But I couldn't let you die!" Gilbert's voice started softly, so unlikely for him. However, as the story went further, the volume rose. "Like I said, I was sure the thing had seen me, however maybe he didn't see you. And I knew you would not leave me there and go away on your own. That's why I knocked you out, and I hid you under some rubble as fast as I could."

Ludwig's eyes narrowed, as he remembered the exact moment he had been hit by his brother. He had felt betrayed, but now he realized…he had done that to… _protect _him.

"…As the awesome person I am, I was ready to face him head on, and on my feet. I thought that if I was going to die, I had to go with a bang. Tough luck, I had no bullets left. And when he got closer…" The albino paused for a couple of seconds, reliving the scene. "…I got hypnotized. Hell, I don't know what he did, but the only word I can find to describe what happened is that one: 'hypnotize'. So he got closer, and started messing with my head, and he, he… offered me to go with him. I don't know what was going on, as I said I couldn't think straight, but…then it hit me that you were under that rubble, and I managed to think that if I accepted, maybe he would go away. And you'd be saved. So I…I accepted his offer. And when he hit me, right here…" he pointed at the middle of his chest, at his heart, "…I heard you, shouting my name. Und in that fraction of second, I regretted my choice. But then…well, you know what happened."

The albino paused, swallowing drily. "Well, a year passed. I didn't know where you were, or if you even were alive. But somehow, your memory kind of faded...into the background. You weren't important to me anymore, I didn't care the slightest. Heck, I completely forgot about you. But when I saw you, a week ago, moments from being attacked from that Nightmare, I…I don't know what happened, but the mist in my head cleared for a couple of seconds. I remembered everything, I recognized you. Not as the blond human, but as Lutz, _mein kleiner bruder_. But it didn't last long."

Ludwig slowly raised his head, and looked at his brother. Gilbert was staring at the ceiling, arms folded. He resumed talking. "My mind got clouded again, and the only thing I remembered was that…that I was a RED because of you. And I didn't like it. I blamed you, and that's why I said all those un-awesome things. I'm sorry, Lutz…"

Gilbert looked down again, and Ludwig saw tears in his ruby eyes, threatening to fall out. Ludwig stood up, walked to him, and hugged him awkwardly (because Gilbert didn't stand up from the couch). "It's okay, Gil. Don't cry, it's over now."

The albino hugged him back, even if the position was kind of uncomfortable. "I-I'm not crying! A-a-awesome people like me d-don't cry! I-I sweat from my eyes…!"

Ludwig chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. Idiot."

The hug lasted a few minutes, until Gilbert released it, rubbing his nose with his sleeve. All tears had disappeared from his eyes and… Ludwig frowned. Had his eyes always been that bright red? Sure, he was an albino, and his eyes had always been red, but more in a milky-pink like of way. Albino eyes. Now they were deep, ruby red. Ludwig shrugged it off. It probably had been a consequence of, well, being a RED for one year.

Ludwig sat down again, and Gilbert coughed. "Ahem, Lutz, there is one more thing. Ya know, I had to tell you _two _things, remember?"

"What is it?"

"I…I've seen you've become all buddy-buddy with that little guy, Feliciano." Gilbert smirked.

Ludwig's eyebrows shot up. Well, that was surely a change of subject. "Huh, maybe…why?" he asked, a little uncomfortable.

Gilbert's face was serious again. "I don't know why, but every time I'm near him, I get this strange feeling. I get the goose bumps."

"What are you saying?" Ludwig frowned, worried.

"I don't know, Lutz. But… I don't feel pleasant around him. Don't get me wrong, I love the little guy too! But it's more of an…call it an instinct. Even I don't get it. But Lutz, please… be careful."

When Ludwig did not respond, Gilbert sighed, standing up and starting to leave. He stopped in the opening of the passage going to the mirror cave. "The Sentient…I can't stop thinking that he must have had a reason to want him alive."

Then he left.

And Ludwig was left to deal with, how Alfred or Romano would kindly put it, 'mindfucks'.

* * *

_…Somewhere else…_

The Sentient chuckled, oscillating back and forth a black bishop on the chess board. A peach-coloured Human Nightmare was standing not so far away.

**"Go, now. And remember what I told you."**

The Nightmare nodded, and left swiftly. The Sentient hummed a merry tune to himself, as he surrounded the thirteen white and three toppled black pieces with random black pieces.

**"…Let the showdown begin."**

* * *

_…The Rock, hours later…_

Feliciano peered over the edge of his cards. They were all playing cards again, but neither him or Romano had started cheating…yet.

He smiled a little, and Ludwig shot a glance at him. Somehow, the German and Kiku could immediately see when he would start cheating. However, he didn't want to. Not this evening. It was already pretty random, thanks to Mathias ranting to Gilbert and Alfred. Before, Berwald somehow had managed to sit on Metthew. The Swede's crappy eyesight didn't help the already barely spottable Canadian. Luckily, Tino noticed that, and quickly made Berwald stand up again, who muttered an apology, between all their laughs.

Feliciano giggled, pulling up a ten of spades from his hand. When it would be his turn-

He flinched, and a hand instinctively went to his abdomen. He felt his gut churning weakly.

"Feliciano?" Ludwig asked, noticing that.

He shook his head, cards slipping from his grip and scattering on the table. "Hng…"

Gilbert eyed him curiously, and Arthur stood up – he could do that on his own, now. "Feliciano? What's happening?"

Feliciano brought both hands to his stomach, and the familiar churning confirmed his fear. "N-Nightmare…!" He exclaimed, looking up at the others.

"Whaaaaaat?!" Emil exclaimed, jumping on his couch alarmed.

"Ahyaaaah!" Yao shouted.

Ludwig put a comforting hand on his shoulder, even if his tone was worried. "Are you sure, Feliciano?"

The Italian nodded, still clutching his stomach. The feeling wasn't as strong as the one of a RED, and by the sense of it, they were still far away… wait, 'they'?  
"There's more of them. It's more than one…!" Feliciano squeaked, standing up abruptly. "A-And…and they're heading here…!"

"Everybody, the Sentient sent his Nightmares! Everyone, grab a gun and a weapon and defend every entrance!" Arthur barked.  
Everyone immediately started running back and forth. Francis neared Ludwig and Feliciano. "Feliciano, do you feel Antonio…?" He asked, worried.

The Italian shook his head. "No…" he didn't sense any RED. But he did feel many Nightmares.

"Frog! Get your arse over here, you git, and make yourself useful!" Arthur barked from somewhere. Francis hurried to where the Brit was yelling, laughing despite the situation.

Suddenly, gun shots could be heard echoing all through the rocky walls. Ludwig was still near Feliciano in the dining cave.

"Ludwig, you should-"

"I'm not leaving you alone. Who knows what that freak has planned, and after what happened…" Ludwig remembered the Italian's glassy eyes, as he was walking towards Gilbert. "…I'm not going anywhere." He got the staff of the small Italian, and pushed it into his hands. "Take it. It's better than nothing." He said, while he loaded his gun and patted the hammer on his hip.

Bangs echoed yet again, and Nightmare shrieks could be heard. They heard something hard hit the ground, and assumed a Nightmare had fallen from the mirror cave's hole.

Suddenly, a cry. "TAKE IT DOWN! TAKE IT _DOWN!_"

They both heard galloping hooves. Wait, what?

A Nightmare dashed into the dining cave, taking some chunks of rock from the entrance, which apparently wasn't big enough to let it through.

It was an Animal Nightmare that vaguely resembled a bull. A big(probably bigger than an American-sized SUV), and angry one, for that matter. A pair of small deep ruby eyes were glowing, and its nostrils flared, as it faced them.

Ludwig immediately shoved Feliciano behind him, training his gun onto the beast. The bull snorted, pawing the ground with one hoof, readying itself to charge. Ludwig quickly scanned its body to spot any weak spot, but didn't see any. Well, shit.

The bull snorted again, and with a distorted moo it charged, horned head lowered at them.

"Move!" Ludwig shouted, pulling Feliciano aside. The bull was fast, but that speed made it difficult to turn, or stop at all. So it crashed into the wall behind them, cracking the rock, its head stuck.

Feliciano whimpered, tears just on the rim of his eyes. "Ve…!" He gripped the staff tightly to his chest, and saw something glint under the bull's hooves, as it was trying to pull out its head from the wall.

Mathias and Berwald suddenly came running in. "Dude, it totally got past us! The eyes are small, and I don't see any other weak spot! The bastard is a juggernaut!"

Ludwig grumbled, as he walked back a bit more farther from the bull, Feliciano still behind him. "Well, what now, then?"

Berwald suddenly had a suggestion. "Kn'ck it down."

Mathias' face lit up, putting his gun away. "Yeah, now, while it's still stuck! You too, Ludwig!"

The three blonds were at the bull's side in an instant, the Nightmare still stuck in the wall. "_Eins, zwei…_" the German started counting, but was interrupted by a certain Dane.

"Hey, do we charge on '_drei_', or is it like 'one, two, three' and _then_ charge?"

The bull finally managed to get its head out of the wall.

"H'w bout _now_?!" Berwald barked, and the three finally charged the Nightmare. The three big blondes managed to throw it off balance, and the beast toppled, legs sprawled.

Feliciano finally recognised what he had seen glinting before. "U-Under its hoof!" He yelled.

"Huh?" Mathias said, and all three of them turned to look at the Nightmare. Indeed, a red glowing weak spot was under its right back hoof.

"Hit it hit it hit it hit it hit it!" Mathias ranted, taking out his own gun. However, Ludwig was faster, and the weak spot exploded after two gun shots. The bull uttered a distorted cry, and then fell limp.

"Whew!" the Dane panted, wiping his brow.

"Now it's not the time to relax, spike-head!" Emil ran into the cave. "There's too many of them! They aren't nearly as big as this guy, but we won't resist much longer!"

Ludwig raised an eyebrow, looking at the others. "So…plan B?"

Mathias looked around frantically "What was plan B again?!"

Berwald shoved Mathias with an elbow. "Run, _fårskalle._"

"Aha! I knew it! Plan B it is, then!"

Feliciano was taken by his elbow and dragged towards where the jeep was parked. "Wait, where's Gatto?!" he yelped.

"Leave the cat, Feli…!" Ludwig ordered. However, as if he had been called, Gatto popped out of nowhere, and Feli scooped him up in his arms. Emil ran back to warn all the others.

In a couple of minutes, eight people(and a cat) were all packed in the jeep: Ludwig driving, Lukas beside him and sitting on Mathias. Kiku, Feliciano, Romano and Yao were sitting in the back, squeezed together and Romano and Yao cursing without any restraint. Somehow, Bella managed to fit in the trunk, and finally Ludwig started the car.

"Bro, this totally reminds me of a family I saw in Thailand, once! They were six folks, and all on one scooter, dog included!"  
"No one cares, idiot." Lukas elbowed the Dane in his ribs.

"Where are the others?" Ludwig asked as he took all sharp turns in the semi-darkness perfectly.

"Alfred-kun said they were going all to the tank!"  
"Emil is the only one who can drive that thing, right?" The German asked.

"Yes, aru!"

A distorted snarl echoed behind them.

"We shouldn't worry about that, we have to get the fuck out of here!" Romano shrieked.

"What do you think I'm doing?!" Ludwig snapped, as they got to the final turn, and then they were outside. The motor roared, and skidded down the path to the desert. Multiple distorted and angry snarls echoed behind them, the Nightmares still in the caves.

Finally, they got off of the mountain and onto the desert soil, and Ludwig stopped the car without turning it off.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Kraut?!" Romano yelled waving his arms – hitting Feliciano and Yao in the process.

"Ahyah!"

"Ve!"

"I'm waiting for ze others, okay?!" Ludwig said, German accent slipping in his English.

"Why wait?! In case you didn't notice, Potato, they have a tank, a motherfucking _tank_, for fuck's sake! They'll be slow, but they'll be fine!"

"Hey, don't you go and insult _Māomī_ like that,aru! She's anything but slow."

"…_What_ did you call the tank? Wait, you gave a _tank_ a name?! And it's a she?!" Mathias asked, stunned.

Lukas hit Mathias in the face with his elbow. Hard. "Shut up, you. You called your own axe _Økse_. You should receive an award for originality."

"Ouch! But it sounds cool!"

"No it doesn't."

Feliciano looked at Yao. "Hey, what does Mao…mee mean?"

Yao huffed proudly, folding his arms. "_Māomī_ means 'Kitty'!"

A stunned silence was interrupted by a facepalm and a groan, coming from Kiku. "S-Seriously, _Onii-san_… Of all things…"

"What?! It's cute, aru."

"I agree!" Bella chimed from the back.

"No one cares, woman!" Romano snapped.

"Aww, don't be rude, Romano, she's a lady!" Feliciano tried soothing down his brother.

"Shut up, Feli!"

"Guys, they're over there!" Bella exclaimed.

Indeed, behind them, the tank was coming down from the flank of the mountain, and Yao hadn't lied. 'Kitty' was fast, and shooting at a fast rate behind itself, at the Nightmares (gaining an extra bit of speed with each recoil as well). The Nightmares were dropping like flies under the tank's fire, so they decided to stay back from the caterpillared vehicle.

_Māomī _was immediately at their side, and the lid opened up, Alfred's head popping out. "Dudes, this tank is awesome!"

"Hey, you owe me money for saying that word, it's my copyright!" A well known German-accented voice echoed from inside. Other voices were arguing as well, a Fench accented voice and a particularly annoyed British one were the ones that stood out mostly.

Alfred kept a straight face, but he moved a little, and a cry of surprise could be heard. They all assumed the American had kicked a well-known albino. "So, where to?"

"I don't know…" Ludwig muttered, looking back at the Rock. Nightmares were perched on almost all rocks, eyeing them from the distance, not daring to get closer because of the tank. The German turned to Feliciano. "Feliciano?"

"Huh?"

"Do you feel any more Nightmares?"

Feliciano answered after a couple of seconds. "Nope. They're all there." He pointed at the Rock.

"We need another shelter, wankers." A voice echoed from the tank. "This one…is compromised."

They all felt their hearts sink at that sentence. They had all hoped it could be fixed, somehow, that they would be able to go back, but… the reality was that they couldn't. The place they called 'home' for the past year had been occupied by the enemy. After all the different hiding places they had been hiding in, the Rock had looked like the last, perfect, stronghold. But now…

"Well, so where do we go? We can't stay in this desert, even if there are no Nightmares around." Alfred stated.

Kiku spoke up. "If we can't stay in the desert, then we have no choice but to go to the cities around. One of them. _Wait_." He raised a hand, stopping any outraged outburst (especially the ones coming from Alfred, Mathias or Romano). "We could wait for dawn, and then go to a city. And Feliciano would be able to guide us to a Nightmare-free place, right?"

"Dude, that sounds totally…like the shittiest plan I've ever heard." Alfred mocked the Japanese, who turned into a deep shad of red.  
"W-well, if you have any better idea, I'm listening…!" he stammered, trying to keep his poker face.

"Guys, I don't think they agree with our plan of waiting until dawn…" Bella said, looking at the Nightmares. They were slowly inching closer, eyeing them for any movement. Suddenly, with a war cry, the Nightmares charged, running/jumping/leaping down the mountain.

"Go go go go go go gooooo!" They all shouted in unison. Ludwig stepped hard on the accelerator, Alfred hastily shut the lid, and the tank started shooting again. However, the Nightmares seemed determined to shoo them away from the Rock, and just kept charging. They started riding away from the Rock at full speed, still chased. _Māomī _kept most Nightmares at bay, however Bella, Yao and Romano also kept on shooting, occasionally.

They were chased for a long time. And they were all scared shitless. The Nightmares just kept following them, and if those monsters got into 'Kitty''s range of fire, they would slow down, but they did not look like letting go of them for anything in the world.

"Where are we going?!" Feliciano asked over the sound of the rushing wind (after all, the jeep's roof had been torn off).

"I don't know!"

Hours passed like this, and it was all pretty tiring and stressing. Suddenly, the Nightmares disappeared in the dark from behind them.

"Huh?"

"Where did they go?"

Silence was the only answer. No roars, no angry snarls, no sound of something jumping. Nothing. It was creepy, to say the least, that sudden silence.

"Feli?"

Feliciano shook his head. "They're…they're gone."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Romano started choking his own brother, shaking him back and forth.

"Ghack! I-I-don't-know! A-a-a-h-Ro-ma-I-can't-breathe!"

Yao luckily intervened, even if there was no real danger of Romano strangling Feliciano.

Feliciano gasped for breath, while Romano scoffed. "Hmpf!"

"I don't like this…" Ludwig murmured, slowing the car down.

"I agree." Lukas said. "Feliciano, are they really gone?"

"They" cough "Vanished…" Feliciano said, rubbing his neck. Then he gasped. "No…wait!"

"What is it, Feliciano-kun?"

Feliciano stared down at the floor of the car, but he wasn't really seeing it. He felt…Nightmares, far, far away. Kilometres away. But they were so many…they were countless. To their left, to their right. And they couldn't go back.

"We…we have to go forward…!" He gasped, looking up again.

"What?" Ludwig looked as far as he could in the darkness, and could make out the faint skyline of a city, though it was not the one they usually went to, or the one they fought Gilbert in. "Are you sure?"

"There is no other way! We are surrounded, and we can't go back…!" Feliciano squeaked, holding his abdomen.

"Oh for God's sake…" Ludwig grumbled. "It's a city, Feliciano. Are you absolutely sure there's no Nightmare? What about Antonio?"

Feliciano shook his head.

"We could hide underground…" Lukas started reasoning. "Maybe in the subway tunnels, or something like that. That is, if they didn't collapse."

"Feliciano, we're all trusting you on this. I'm going." Ludwig said as he stepped on the accelerator, the tank following them.

"No pressure intended, heh?" Mathias smirked, craning his neck to look back at Feliciano, who only laughed nervously, rubbing his head.

He smiled a little to himself, he was being useful! He could help! He was absolutely sure in front of them there weren't Nightmares. At least they'd be safe, for now.

* * *

_…Somewhere else…_

The Sentient walked into Antonio's golden room, though he didn't spot him immediately.

He looked around a little, and finally discerned a pair of glowing eyes under a pile of gold. Antonio had dug a hole in a pile of valuables, and nestled himself in there, observing motionlessly his surroundings.

The Sentient giggled. **"Why hello there, Antonio. How are you feeling today?"**

No answer, not even an angry growl like the Spaniard would usually react. The green eyes in the dark slightly narrowed, and that was the only hint he had actually heard him. He had to concentrate that much to keep himself put? Well, Feliciano had done perfectly. By the time they would find their safe shelter, Antonio would be searching for them.

**"The western area, understood? Go."**

As soon as he had said that, gold clattered everywhere, and a shadow whirled past him. And Antonio was gone.

The Sentient simply chuckled yet again to himself, as he walked to his room again.

People were so easy to manipulate. **"до свидания, Antonio."** He said, toppling the black Rook on his board.

* * *

_…Back to the Rock gang…_

They slowly rode through the destroyed city, looking around them or at Feliciano, to see if he sensed any Nightmares.

But he didn't. The city was completely empty.

Well, that worked in their favour.

"Looks like it's completely abandoned, even by the Nightmares…" Lukas murmured.

"Ah-huh…" Ludwig nodded. The tank was following them, the caterpillars making a loud metallic sound that echoed through the concrete mayhem.

All buildings had collapsed or had sunken half way into the ground, so the subway suggestion of Lukas had to be scrapped, because obviously the tunnels had all crumbled.

Finally, far away, they saw a cubic block-like building. It looked like an abandoned factory, even if most smokestacks had collapsed. The fact that it extended in width and not in height had made it possible for it to stay still standing.

"That surely looks fucking inviting…" Romano said sarcastically.

"Better than nothing…I guess?" Yao shrugged.

"Let's see…" Ludwig reasoned. "It's probably the only standing building here, and it's pretty defendable. Not many windows, and probably thick brick and concrete walls, being a factory. We could even get the tank inside, because there was always a big opening for trucks…"

"Sounds good to me!" Mathias raised an arm up. "And then we get in a corner and let the tank defend it! It's a good place! I like it!"

Silence. "…That's…that's actually a clever idea." Lukas said, stunned. The Dane simply grinned.

"Is it really wise?" Kiku asked. He turned to look at Feliciano, who nodded. "There are no Nightmares here… Trust me!" He smiled, and the Japanese man saw in his eyes the truth. Not that he didn't trust Feliciano, it just was second nature to him. "_…Hai…_For a short time, it will do, then."

The tank's lid opened, and Alfred's head popped out again. "Hey dudes! That actually looks like a good place to hide in for some time. Any Nightmares, Feli?"

The Italian shook his head, curl sweeping left and right. "Nope…!"

"Then abandoned-factory-in-the-middle-of-nowhere it is!" he said, pointing to the building. "Forward, my brave side-kicks! For Narniaaa!"

Someone pulled the over-excited American inside again, and a string of British accented insults echoed from inside. Followed by Icelandic insults. Followed by a well-known hissing laugh. Followed by a French laugh. And random shouts. All people on the jeep facepalmed, and were happy not to be in the tank in that exact moment.

Ludwig coughed. "Ahem. Right. So. The factory." He put on the first gear, and rode over the rubble, towards the factory.

* * *

As they found the gaping entrance for the trucks, their hopes went all up. The tank could fit through the opening, and after a small turn they found themselves in a very, very, _very_ long hall. It was all covered in a thick layer of dust, and flanked by small and occasional windows up near the ceiling, which was so high it disappeared in the dark . The windows were all shattered but sealed with nailed planks, so almost no light(even if it was night) could get in. The ceiling was held up by thick concrete pillars, and many iron beams also supported the ceiling. Or at least they did once. They all looked kind of rusty, and some were bent in a strange manner, some in precarious balance, and many had already crashed on the floor.

"That ceiling doesn't look all that solid to me…" Yao murmured, looking up.

The others nodded. "Well, we'd better find some place where those beams are all okay, because I don't want one of those things crashing down onto my skull!" Romano grumbled.

They slowly rode down the dusty hallway, until they got to the opposite wall. There was a door, but nor the tank nor the jeep would ever be able to go through it. On top of that, it looked like it had been bolted shut. They could stay there, for the time being. Until they found a better place, they would survive there.

They all nestled themselves in one corner, using the jeep and the tank to close the small safe place up, as only defence from the outside world. It was still night, so no one went to sleep because of the fear of Nightmares. Even if Feliciano assured everyone that no Nightmare was around in a range of a couple of kilometres, they stayed up all night, tense. As dawn cracked, they almost all fell asleep from sheer exhaustion.

Some kilometres away, in a desert, a RED was sniffing at the air, a hungry look in his eyes.

* * *

**So there. A lot of shit is going to go down. Stupid cliffhanger is stupid, but... WAHOOOO!**

**Oh wait, I should be worried...! **

**Anyhow, yup, pretty fast update, and the longest chapter I've ever written. We're spiralling down towards the end, i think... I don't know how many more chapters are left, but i definitely do NOT want it to be longer than 35, and I'll do my best to finish it before that number...! (By making chapters longer. Even if I hate long chapters. GAH!)**

**Aaaand weather is still being crazy. Ah-huh. School is kind of crushing me, because the year is coming to an end, so every teacher suddenly woke up and said "Hey, we should have a test!". So yeah, I'll do my best to upload on friday, but if i fail those tests, it will be YOUR fault! **

**XD**

**Just kidding, I'll upload anyway...!**

**Hoping you are all well, until next chapter! ;)**

_**Mein kleiner bruder :** (german) my little brother_

**_Eins, zwei... : _**_(german) One, two..._

**___Fårskalle : _**___(swedish) stupid/meathead_

**_Drei :_**_ (german) three_

**___Māomī : _**___(chinese) kitty (i have absolutely no clue about this translation. i definitely do NOT know chinese...!)_

_**до свидания : **(russian) farewell (pron. da-sveedania)_


	29. Fire Demon

**ciao everyone! whoa, this is the longest chapter i have ever written, 7000+ words! O_O *groan* i do not like long chapters! well, i hope it doesn't bother you...! first, look at the title of this chapter. done? good. continue reading now. i have too many mixed feelings about this chapter, you will find out... **

**please, sit back und ENJOY...**

* * *

They spent most of the day sleeping, not everyone at the same time, though. Someone always was awake, and guarding their safe corner of the factory, rifle resting in his hands.

However, luckily, nothing happened(as Feliciano pointed out, there were no Nightmares around), so they could take a breath and rest. Feliciano realized this was the real life after the Disaster. The Rock had always been an exception. The Rock had functioned as their _home_. They had had beds, water, food, and even couches and tables.

Now it was all gone. No beds. They had blankets, but no mattresses, or pillows. No oil lamps, like in that mountain. No oven. No field to water or plough. No dark cave to wash yourself in. And their feeling of being safe, all together, without any worry… it already had become a memory. They couldn't go back. They'd have to roam around, finding temporary shelters, hoping to find enough food, or that the gasoline they had would last long enough. Until they died, or found another perfect shelter like the Rock had been.

Feliciano sighed, remembering nostalgically the mountain and its caves. The Rock seemed such a diminutive, of what it had actually meant for them. Their _home_.

He warmed his hands by the still warm ashes of the fire they had made that morning. He rubbed them together, and then snuggled against the wall under his blanket. Then he closed his eyes. Maybe he would be able to sleep until the night came… then it'd be the most useful time for him to be awake.

Ludwig saw the Italian close his eyes, and smiled faintly. He patted Feliciano softly on his head, and Feliciano smiled in his already half-sleeping state. Ludwig's hand however was immediately batted away by the Italian's pissed off brother. Romano glared at him angrily, _daring_ him to touch Feliciano again, but not saying a word. Ludwig raised his hand, showing he wouldn't do it again, also not saying a word. Feliciano was already sleeping.

* * *

_...Not so far away..._

Antonio didn't like the light. It didn't hurt him like it did to the Nightmares, but he didn't like it. And certainly not in a desert. That's why he was waiting under a rock. Impatiently so.

He had been searching all night, and finally, at dawn, he had discovered some fresh tracks. Antonio had never seen trails like that. Small, rectangular cavities one after the other. Bizarre. And they were flanked by 'normal' car tracks.

Antonio had smelled the air, as the sun slowly turned the desert's colours on again, transforming them from muddy-brown to bright orange. He had inhaled deeply, and felt light-headed, as he smelled more than a dozen different humans. Enough to make his mouth start watering, almost.

He had gotten on all fours, and started following the tracks. However, as the day slowly proceeded, the light got too much for him, so he had to shelter under a rock for a couple of hours.

So there he was.

He had to wait. He had to be patient, even if he was overly-excited about the many humans. His hunger would soon be satisfied. Even if it was scratching the inside of his chest like a caged animal of some sort.

As the sun started going lower down the sky, he got out of his hiding place and started following the tracks swiftly again.

As the sun finally went down, he was in a city. The tracks had disappeared, obviously not able to be left on concrete and rubble, but he didn't need those anymore. He just had to lift up his chin, and smell the air, for the delicious scent of scared humans still lingering there.

He had to be quick. Other Nightmares might go and take them before he did…!

He growled. No one was going to stand between him and his meal.

As he crawled, climbed an leaped from twisted lamppost to buildings and to concrete rubble, he smelled he was getting closer. His stomach grumbled hungrily, reminding him of his emptiness.

All of the sudden, a strange building came into his view. Strange because it was still standing straight, even if it wasn't that tall. But the most interesting thing was…the humans' smell came from right there.

Antonio chuckled. He had lost the ability to smile long ago, so the only thing he could do to express delight was that one. His pace increased, nearing the abandoned factory.

Following the scent trail, he got to a gaping opening of some sort. They were right inside. His feral instincts that hadn't already kicked in, did it right there and then.

_Be the most silent and deadly predator_.

He crept inside, swiftly and without any noise. The clicking of his armour was reduced to a minimum, and his good eyesight in the dark guaranteed him safe trading even there.

He found himself in a tall corridor, that took a sharp turn almost immediately to the right. Antonio looked up. Pillars and beams held up the high ceiling. Perfect.

He gripped a concrete pillar, and started climbing, silently and quickly. Small cracks in the cement were all he needed to grip on to. At the height where the pillar connected to the ceiling, there were the beams. They were connected to each other, to the ceiling, and to the other pillars, creating a web-like pavement suspended in the air. Once it had been organized, but many had rusted away and fallen. However…this was almost too easy.

He swiftly got onto all fours again, and crawled down onto one beam after the other, following the corridor's turn and being careful not to make any noise. He found himself looking down at a very long hallway, and at the end of it…

…_Food_.

They still hadn't noticed him. Of course. It was night, the humans had one only light source, the reddening ashes of a dying fire, and the beams he was crawling on were pretty high up. No one would notice him in the dark.

He got closer. Closer. As silent as a cat.

Closer. _Closer_.

He was above them. Oh, they smelled so wonderful. He had to use all his willpower not to jump down right there and now. But he wasn't stupid. And he had to admit, he definitely had not expected more than fifteen humans.

Fifteen…! Not in his wildest dreams would he ever had imagined more than a dozen humans surviving in these areas...! So much to eat…

But there was the down side. They were too many. If he acted recklessly, he would be killed. Half or so of them were sleeping, but still…

He had to lower their numbers, somehow. So that he didn't have to deal with the whole of them…even two or three would do…to satisfy his burning hunger.

What could he do…?

He crouched on one of the beams, looking down. He loomed over the humans. He vaguely resembled some kind of odd gargoyle, perched like that. He cocked his head to one side. Then he observed the ceiling, half a meter above his head. Hm, all those rusty beams gave him an idea…

Suddenly, a human under him gasped awake, exclaiming something that made Antonio scowl.

"…RED!"

* * *

Feliciano grimaced in his dreams. In his nightmares. It was _that_ nightmare again, the one of him falling over and over again. He kind of had become used of it, but still, it wasn't exactly what you would call…pleasant.

Slowly, a warm feeling started building up in his abdomen, but at first he didn't even notice it. Only when it started burning and churning, he finally realized what it was, and at last bolted awake. He was covered in sweat, and he panted one single word, looking wide-eyed up above him.

"…RED!"

He saw a pair of glowing green eyes looking down angrily at him from the dark ceiling. However, after he blinked once, they disappeared.

Everyone was awake immediately, even if groggily. "Whuzzap, Feli?" Alfred grunted, rubbing his eyes. Francis, Gilbert and Lukas had stiffened, inhaling sharply at Feliciano's statement, gripping their weapons. "Antonio…!"

Ludwig immediately was at his side. "Feliciano…!"

Feliciano didn't even notice the German. His gaze was locked to the ceiling, desperately searching for where the RED would be. "He's up there…!" he said. Why had he fallen asleep on the worst of all moments…! If only he had been awake…!

Everyone looked up, and fell silent. And they all heard something metallic snap. And then, a loud creaking noise.

"WATCH OUT!" Gilbert yelled, tackling Ludwig and Feliciano down, as a metal beam came crashing down. Lukas also pushed Mathias and Emil out of the way, right before they would be crushed.

Ludwig pushed his brother away in annoyance, but then realized what had happened. "Oh, _sheiße…_"

Without any warning, many metallic snaps, and metallic screeches and creaks. Rusty bolts and screws started falling, clattering on the hard ground. More creaking. And then, many beams at once started crashing down, with screeching metal noises and clattering thuds.

"The bastard is making the whole thing come crashing down…!" Emil shouted, climbing into the tank.

"You idiot, you'll die in there!" Lukas shouted, going after his brother, and dragging him out from the vehicle. Everyone started running away, in pure self-preserving instinct, from the small corner they were in, dodging the falling and deadly iron beams.

Suddenly, an ominous deep creak could be heard. It was not a metallic sound. It was more a rocky-like sound. The factory shuddered wholly.

Silence fell, as everyone stopped dead on his tracks. They all looked up to the slowly falling dust, listening, and waiting, for the worst.

"…Please, tell me that was _not_ the fucking ceiling…" Romano whispered. And then, right on cue, a ton of bricks and concrete came crashing down on them as well.

Panic surged through all of them. Chunks of the ceiling were dropping at an alarming speed, separating them all and thudding hard, even sinking in the pavement.

Alfred felt a horrifying déjà-vu as he saw Matthew moments from being crushed under a boulder of cement. Adrenaline pumped through his system, as he dashed and pushed him out of the way just in time. Others had the same reactions too, and the hallway was filled with yells of names, dominating the rumble of crashing ceiling.

Feliciano lost his balance several times because of the earthquake caused by the boulders and the queasiness caused by the RED, but was always caught just in time by Ludwig. They were running God knows where, and after a while they faced a wall of fallen rubble.

Ludwig's blood ran cold, as he heard a boulder crash behind them. They were trapped…!  
"Ludwig! Over here!" he heard Francis call out to him, from a hole in the wall of debris. Ludwig bolted to it, supporting the Italian so he wouldn't trip again. As they hauled themselves through the hole, the passage was closed shut with a loud 'BOOM' of the umpteeth boulder falling.

After another couple of seconds, the deep rumble of crumbling died away, and the dust started clearing. Some small rocky chinks still fell, but for the rest it was completely silent. The path to the other side of the hallway had been completely sealed, however.

Kiku coughed. "Is everyone-" cough "-alright?"

"I-It would seem so…" Arthur wheezed, a hand over his chest, breathing heavily.

Feliciano looked around him. They were at the turn of the corridor, just mere metres from the entrance.

Francis stood up, starting a headcount. "Oh, _merde_…there's people missing."

Everyone started looking four their closest friends or relatives.  
"Wh're's T'no…?" Berwald grumbled, eyes darting around to see if he could spot him.

"Yao isn't here…" Kiku murmured.

Arthur looked up. "Alfred, where's your brother?" He asked to the American.

"…I'm Matthew…" it turned out it wasn't Alfred. Who actually popped out of nowhere two milliseconds later. "Dude! I'm totally here, how could you mistake my bro for me?!"

"You're twins, you twat."

Feliciano frantically looked around. He gripped Ludwig's shoulders, tears on the rim of his eyes. "_Dov'è Romano?!_" he squeaked.

Ludwig frowned, he didn't need to know Italian to understand what Feliciano was asking. "I don't know…and I don't see Bella either…"

Everyone turned to look back at the wall of rubble behind them.

"…And Antonio's still there." Gilbert grimaced.

Feliciano threw himself at the rock wall, banging his fists against the rubble. "Romano! Romano!" he started trying to get some rocks away, but was gently pushed aside by Ludwig.

"Don't, Feliciano, you'll just hurt yourself."

"But-!"

"Hey Mathias! Get your lazy ass over here and help me!" The German grunted, beginning to push a boulder out of the way. The Dane joined him, as did a certain Swede and an German albino. Soon, they were all working out their way to the others.

* * *

Antonio liked how they ran around like scared rats. Ah, but he shouldn't be playing with food…

He glanced down from one of the beams he hadn't chomped down on. He saw a brown head running for cover, and a curl…

Wait, hadn't _he_ said the 'mistake' had a curl…? Shouldn't he go after him, and retrieve him?

His first rational thought in days was soon shattered when his stomach grumbled.

That was _food_. He blinked slowly, observing the human. He looked in shape…not too thin, not too burly…perfect. He would do just perfectly.

When the ceiling came crumbling down, he climbed calmly through the holes in the ceiling, so that he was standing on the floor of the room above it. There'd be safer. After the whole floor had caved in, and everything had calmed down, he spotted the human he had set his eyes onto. He was coughing, down below.

He licked his teeth, and started crawling through the darkness.

* * *

Romano coughed. It felt as if he had swallowed a hole damn desert. His lungs ached, his ears were ringing, his head spinning and…well, to make long things short, he felt like shit.

He coughed again, trying to see through the dust and debris and whatnot. He had been lucky, he hadn't been hit by the falling boulders. The whole _fucking_ ceiling had come off, and it looked like there was another room above them, only this time with windows that weren't sealed shut. Some moonlight was leaking inside, creating malformed blotches of light on the debris.

Then it struck him. "Feliciano!" he cried out, standing up. His blood ran cold when he didn't hear an answer from his brother. No answer from anyone, for that matter. He started to panic. Where were all the others?! Certainly they didn't die?! "Hey, is anyone here?!" still no answer. "Is anyone _fucking _here!?" Heck, he'd be happy to hear any response by now, even from the Potato head, or his annoying albino brother…

Something shifted beside him, and he turned, filled with hope. A cough, and then a jet-black haired head popped out from the debris. More coughs.

"Ahyah! I think I got even shorter…!" Yao coughed, complaining.

Romano sighed, disappointed. It wasn't his brother or Bella, but at least _someone _had survived…

More things shifting, and more coughs. Romano felt his hopes rise as he heard a feminine voice.

"_Sodeju…!_" the Belgian 'cursed', wiping her face from the dirt.

"Bella!"

The girl groggily stood up, balance a bit awkward. "Romano…! And who's there…?"

"_Moi moi_…"

Bella jumped and hugged the Fin, knocking the wind out of him. "Tino! You're alive!"

"Okay, yay, we're alive. Whoop-de-fucking-doo. Bella, release the guy or you'll choke him. Someone else here that survived all of this shit?" Romano asked.

Yao also stood up, arching his back. "Ahyah, my back hurts like crazy, aru. I think we got separated…I saw Kiku get-" he pointed to the back of the hallway, but they all saw it was blocked by a massive wall of boulders. "…over there." His voice fell.

"Shit."

"I think they're all there…" Tino murmured. "I saw Lukas and Emil get there too…and I think I glimpsed the others as well…"

"Where the _fuck_ is Feliciano?! If he died, I'm going to kill him!" Romano snarled running to the wall of debris, as if it could answer to him.

Bella facepalmed. "Romano, if he died, you wouldn't kill him…"

They all moved towards the sealed part of the hallway.

"Guys? I have the feeling we are forgetting something…" Yao said, looking around uncomfortably as he followed the others to the wall.

A distorted chuckle echoed through the mayhem of cement and bricks, and they all stiffened.

Romano's face distorted into a terrified grimace, and he pressed his back to the wall, arms spread. Bella's face mirrored Romano's perfectly. Tino and Yao were worried too, but they looked less terrified than the other two…they hadn't seen Antonio yet. Not like this.

All of the sudden, Romano noticed two familiar green orbs shine in the dark, behind the Belgian.

"BEL-!" he shouted, reaching a hand out to her, trying to warn her. But it was too late. Antonio snatched her from behind, and she cried out, before they both disappeared in the shadows.

"Bella!" Tino yelled, reaching for his gun and pointing in the dark. But where could he possibly shoot…?

Romano was hyperventilating. _Shitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshit!_ He was completely frozen, not even able to think. He was clearly terrified. His hand shook, as he reached for his gun also. His sword had been buried under who-knows-how-much fucking debris.

He heard the Belgian struggle against the iron grip of the Spaniard, until they all heard a gunshot and a distorted snarl. Had Bella managed to get her gun out, and free herself…?

Suddenly, the two appeared under the occasional patches of moonlight. Antonio was staggering backwards, clutching his hip that had been grazed by a bullet. Bella was regaining her balance, after having been released by the Spaniard.

Under the light, they could all have a good look at him.

His messy chocolate brown hair was even messier than it would usually be, and under dark bangs a pair of emerald green eyes shone. But they didn't shine with the usual carefree light. Oh no. They were glinting with madness and rage. And something else Romano didn't really want to place. Hunger.

The lower half of Antonio's face was covered with the crimson skull-like mask, an impressive row of sharp teeth going from ear to ear. Romano knew for a fact that the mask was now a part of his face now…there weren't lips or cheeks under it. The mask had _become_ his mouth, doubling the breadth of it.

Furthermore, the armour completely covered the upper half of his body: the neck, shoulders, arms, hands, and chest. On his back, his backbone was covered with blunted ridges. Antonio's abdomen wasn't protected by any armour, exposing the clothes. Finally, his legs were also armoured, ending with his clawed feet.

Bella spun around, intending to run back to the wall and the others. But turning her back to Antonio turned out to be the worst choice. He lunged forward, scratching her back in an upward motioned slash. As the Belgian fell down on her knees screaming, he looked down delighted on his prey.

"You bastard!" Yao yelled, running to them. Romano noticed he didn't have any weapon on him, let it be a gun or a knife.

"You moron! You'll get yourself killed!" Romano shouted, still trembling. Antonio looked up at the Chinese approaching quickly, and retreated in the shadows, unimpressed. Romano swallowed drily. He heard the Sentient's words echo in his head, from more than a year earlier… **_"Such beautiful cowardice…"_**

It was true. He _was_ a coward. But he couldn't do anything about it. His knees were trembling that hard he had to lean onto the wall fully to keep standing. He was scared _shitless_. The Antonio he knew wouldn't do such things. But then again, it wasn't Antonio anymore, right? No, that red-clad demon couldn't be his friend. It just couldn't be.

He and Tino looked around frantically, trying to spot the RED. Where had he disappeared to…?

Yao took a martial arts stance of some sort, and closed his eyes. Romano felt the greatest urge to hit him. He was a sitting duck already, and he was closing his eyes, too?! People could be so stupid…!

But Yao seemed to know what he was doing, when his eyes snapped open and he jumped into the darkness. His leg was charging a kick, directed seemingly to nothing but thin air.

"Ah-YAH!" The Chinese yelled, as he hit Antonio's shoulder, knocking him off-balance and out of the shadows. Antonio growled, before recovering his balance and striking back. The two started a deadly hand-to-hand fight.

"The fuck…?" Romano frowned. How had he known he was there? "Probably some dumb martial sense shit or something like that…" he muttered to himself.

Yao seemed to be able to keep up with the enraged RED. That is, as long as said RED was standing on two feet. Because at a certain point, Antonio decided to drop on all fours, and strike like that, moving like some sort of animal.

That, Yao definitely did not expect. The attacks came from a lower angle, and even faster. So he actually wasn't surprised, when he felt talons sink deep into his chest. He cried out, hard, before being tossed aside by the Spaniard without a further glance.

Antonio straightened up, and started walking towards them, eyes ablaze with madness still. He was approaching Romano, who still felt frozen in place. His heart was beating like crazy against his ribcage, he felt it would explode if it didn't calm down. Tino jumped between the Spaniard and him, gun ready to shoot.

"A-Antonio! That's your name, right? Stop, please!" The Fin shouted, too kind for his own good, before shooting. Antonio hunched over, ready to strike, when another kick came out of the darkness and shoved him aside. Antonio snarled, landing on all fours, facing the Chinese who was still standing.

Yao huffed, flipping some hair from his face back. Blood was staining the front of his clothes. "Don't underestimate me, even if I'm an old man, aru!" he said, getting into battle stance again. Antonio crouched growling, crossing his arms in front of them. Yao frowned. What was he up to…? The RED paused a couple of seconds like that, eyes narrowing as if in concentration. Then suddenly sprang up, spinning on the balls of his feet, stretching out his arms. Yao was at a safe distance from the spinning claws, so didn't move. However, he found himself ducking when from the fingertips of the Spaniard appeared flames. The flames stretched outwards, the Spaniard still spinning, and they all had to crouch to avoid the fire.

That was only a warning of what the RED had in store. Antonio stopped spinning, and raised his hands upwards. Flames erupted from the cracks in the pavement and between the boulders, bathing everything in the room in an unsettling orange gloom. Most shadows disappeared in the light, but the remaining ones contrasted hard with the bright orange. Antonio cackled, halting for a second, and then launched himself towards Yao again.

Romano turned to the Fin, who still was holding the gun in his hands. "What the fuck are you waiting for?! Shoot him!" He ignored the fact that he was himself, in fact, holding another gun.

Tino shook his head, lowering the weapon. "…I can't…! I could hit Yao…! And Bella is still there somewhere in the dark! What if I hit her…?"

Romano snarled, knees not shaking anymore. He decided to take matters in his own hands. He raised his own gun, and pointed it to the two battling figures.

Antonio was still crouching and ducking in an animalistic way, and with each lash of his claws, an arch of fire would appear. Luckily, Yao was able to avoid every single one of them. The room was slowly filling with orange flames and smoke, however, adding effect to the already sinister and terrifying situation.

Romano grimaced. He wouldn't be able to hit him. Tino was right. They were fighting too close to each other. He lowered the gun, and then saw a figure, trying to stand up, surrounded by a circle of flames.

It was Bella, and she was trapped.

"_Imbecille!_" Romano shouted, running past the Fin and towards her. She was coughing, the claw wound on her back bleeding and impeding any movement. Romano jumped over the flames into the circle, and scooped her up as best as he could, trying not to hurt her back.

Suddenly he heard Yao yelp, a snap, and then a satisfied snarl.

Shit.

Antonio appeared just outside the circle, the flames illuminating him up from below. He looked like some kind of demon, crimson tainting his already red jaws, and the yellow and orange glow of the fire only added emphasis on his terrifying appearance. But he didn't step into the circle. He was waiting for him to get out. He could wait.

Romano coughed, the heat making him sweat. "Like hell, you asshole…". He stepped back, Bella still in his arms.  
The RED slowly stretched out a hand to him through the fire, as if wanting to…help.

Romano's gaze locked onto those madness filled eyes, but he noticed that those green orbs almost softened, for the fraction of a second…

And Romano nearly fell for it.

Luckily, Tino interrupted that moment, throwing a rock – a big-sized one, for that matter – at the RED, who was forced to jump backwards to avoid it. He landed crouching again, and snarled angrily at the Fin, his opportunity lost.

Tino hoisted up another boulder twice the size of him, and threw it at Antonio again. The Spaniard swiftly dodged, however the Fin had as much ammunition as he wanted. Why didn't he use the gun, like any normal person would do?!

Romano stared wide-eyed at him. "How the _fuck_ are you so strong…?!"

Tino smiled nervously, as if embarrassed. "Eh, I work out…?"

He had the greatest urge to facepalm, but he had more pressing matters to attend to. For instance, getting Bella and his own ass out of the blazing circle.

Luckily, he could still jump over it, Bella had not been able to get out because of her injury. He looked around for Yao, and he found him slumped against the boulder wall. His chest was bleeding badly, the fabric of the clothes torn, and he had a wound to the head too. His leg was lying in a strange angle, as if…no, not as if. It _was_ broken, and no doubt Antonio's teeth were the culprits. The Chinese looked unconscious, if not already dead.

Romano felt his heart sink, when he didn't hear Bella cough anymore. She had also fallen unconscious. Tears started pooling in his eyes, but he forced them back angrily. He wouldn't cry. Not now. He would not be a pansy like his idiotic brother. He slowly put down Bella, and retrieved her gun. He toyed with the now two guns, as sweat fell from his brow because of the increasing heat coming from the raging fire. The room was becoming a fucking furnace, and they were trapped with a rampaging RED.

Well, shit.

"Ohyaaaaaaah!"

Romano's head snapped up, as he saw a dark silhouette against the orange light of the blazing flames flying through the air. Tino landed against a boulder with a thud, and he heard something crack. He flinched, not knowing if it was an arm, a leg or…his neck or skull.

No. The Fin was still moving, apparently unharmed however clutching his arm. He was looking up at the approaching RED. "_Hitto vie…paholainen…_" he murmured in his native tongue.

Antonio neared the Fin, and flexed one claw up in the air. Apparently, the rock throwing had caused some damage, because his forehead was bleeding, and his back too. Fire created itself between his fingers, rendering the already deadly claws even deadlier. Romano felt helpless. What could he do?! What!? He started running, not even remembering he had two guns.

The Spaniard hissed one single word, before throwing the attack.

**"****_…Muere._****"**

"NO!"

Romano tackled Antonio down, the fiery attack swaying to one side and missing the Fin by a centimetre. They both crashed down onto the hot ground, and Romano rolled as far away as he could before jumping on his feet again.

Antonio groggily stood up, arms hanging limp to his sides like a rag doll's. He looked at him, head cocked to one side.

Romano didn't even realize he had started crying.  
"Antonio…! You damn bastard, snap out of it!" he shouted, trying to keep himself together. But it was no use, the tears were rolling down his cheeks without any restraint.

The Spaniard didn't give any sign of hearing him. Instead, he licked his teeth, and crouched. Again, he said a single word, but this one was growled, almost _purred_.

**"…****_Comida_****."**

Romano flinched. He did not need to know Spanish to understand what he had said. "Shit-!" He dodged sideways, avoiding the Spaniard by mere centimetres.

He trained his gun on him, and shot a few rounds. However, Antonio managed to block them all with his armoured body or evade them by jumping sideways.  
"_Cazzo!_" He tossed his gun away, got out Bella's, and shot again. "_Sta fermo, stronzo!_" This time he managed to hit the upper half of his abdomen, near the grazed wound Bella had caused before. Antonio arched his back, and then hunched over himself, covering the now double wound with a hand. His head then snapped up, and he straightened his back, the armoured spine clicking ominously. The faint sound could be heard even over the raging fire, somehow. The Spaniard raised both arms up, roaring in rage. More fire erupted from cracks the ground, not unlike the eruption of a volcano. The cracks splintered by the sheer force of the flames, and opened up the pavement even more.

Romano lost his balance because of the earthquake that was created. Antonio took advantage of it, he leapt forward, maw open.

Time seemed to slow down, as Romano was falling backwards, and Antonio was floating above him. The Spaniard's wide jaws were wide open, and…

And snapped closed on the crook of his neck.

Romano felt the razor sharp teeth pierce through his flesh, breaking sinews and tearing muscles. The brutal force of the jaws had tore almost completely through his joint, and the teeth were scraping against bone. The side of his neck had also been added to the feast, and Romano almost immediately tasted something metallic. He looked sideways, only to see the face of his… his friend twisting with enjoyment. He even saw droplets of his own blood float in the air, creating a small trajectory of their fall. Then the time slow motion ended, and finally the pain surged through his whole body. He screamed at the top of his lungs, when they both fell to the ground, and his vision blurred.

* * *

Antonio jumped, and went for his prey, after he had lost his balance. The perfect leap, he was floating over him, and then…!  
Finally. He bit down on his shoulder and neck. Blood filled his mouth almost instantly, and he savoured the flavour. He hadn't been wrong. This human had been a good choice. He tasted wonderful.

They both fell, and the human screamed under him. He struggled weakly, trying to push him away, but his teeth were embedded too deeply into the flesh of the other. If the human pushed too hard, he would be tearing away his own shoulder.

Antonio loosened the grip of his bite for an instant, only to chomp down harder. More flesh was torn open, and the human screamed again, yelling something over and over again. He was hitting his chest with his fists.

"…Onio!"

Antonio released the bite again a little, only to chomp more sideways, towards the neck. The blows got weaker.

"…Ntonio…!"

He savoured the metallic liquid. Finally, he would not be hungry for a while…!

The human stopped struggling, and slowly fell still. Oh, already? Even better. He felt the human's ragged and laboured breaths, and his body become limp, being held up a little only because his teeth were sunken into the crook of his neck. Antonio got onto his knees, wrapped an arm around the body so it wouldn't fall, and then released the bite.

He licked his teeth from the blood, looking down at the human. His head had hunched over, dark brown hair covering his eyes. Blood was oozing from the wound, flesh all torn up. Strangely enough, the curl was still up and wayward, despite the fight, the smoke and the fire. Antonio chuckled, leaning the body against the side of a boulder. It had been almost too easy…!  
But then he saw something glint through the strands of hair. It glinted _gold_. Antonio's eyes widened. Gold? He crouched, nearing the human.

Gold! Yes, gold! He pulled aside the hair with one clawed finger.

Gold! Wait, but that were his eyes…

A sudden headache struck him. His hunger was all but forgotten, but somehow shifted on the background. He grimaced, holding his head. His mind overflowed with memories, as he slowly grasped sanity again.

Gold, yes, but golden _eyes_…

Golden eyes…a curl…

Sudden realisation struck him harder than a truck riding downhill at full speed.

_Romano_.

His eyes widened, as he looked down at his hands. He covered his face with one of them. Oh _God_, what had he done…? He had struck Bella, too…

He fell on his knees again, and scuttled near the huma- _Romano_.

**"****_Oh, Dios…_****"**

He slowly reached out a hand for the hunched figure. The crook of Romano's neck was deeply wounded, and blood kept steadily oozing out, staining the clothes and the floor. It was so much blood… the flames roaring around them only added to the already unsettling colour of the vital liquid pooling under them. The flesh of the crook of the Italian's neck was completely torn open.

**"…****_¡Dios mío…!" _**Antonio repeated, touching the Italian's cheek as softly as he could, as if it could shatter any moment. The Italian's head was still bowed down. **"****_…¿Romano…?_****"** he whispered.

Antonio didn't even realize he started crying. **"Romano****_…¡Roma…! ¡Roma!_****"**

He called out for him, expecting him to raise his head and start swearing at him. But nothing happened. Antonio dropped his hand, and stared at the floor, fists closed tightly.

**"****_Romano…¡Per…Perdoname…!" _**Tears were rolling as streams down his cheeks. **"****_¡Oh Dios, perdoname…! Yo no…Yo…¡Mirame…! ¡Abre tus ojos, Romano, por favor…!_****"**

He dared to reach out for the Italian again, cupping his cheek.

**"****_…¿Roma…?_****" **he lifted up Romano's head, and his gaze met a pair of golden orbs, glittering even more brightly because of the fire. But…they were out of focus. They didn't see him, through the half-lidded lashes.

…

They were dead.

Antonio started wailing in despair, embracing the limp body.

* * *

Feliciano was the first to go through the hole in the wall they had managed to make, mostly because he was one of the smallest there. He frantically looked around, searching for the missing people.

The first thing he noticed, however, was that someone was singing. It wasn't a happy song. In fact, the person was sobbing.

**"…****_A-a la nanita nana, nanita ella, n-nanita ella…_****"**

Huh? Who was singing? Wait, was the voice…distorted…? He looked around, holding up a sleeve to his nose. Somehow, the dark place had filled up with smoke. All stones looked black and scorched, and tiny little flames danced here and there on the ground. What had happened there?

**"…****_Mi niño t-tiene sueño… bendito sea, bendito sea…_****"**

Feliciano felt the RED was nearby. He looked around while searching the others, and noticed that obviously there had been a battle. He got worried. What if the RED had…? However, he finally saw a hunched figure leaning on the flank of a boulder. His chest swelled with hope, as he ran towards it. When he got closer, he had to admit he was a little disappointed it wasn't his brother, but nonetheless he was happy.

**"…A****_ la nanita nana, n-nanita ella, nanita ella…_****  
**

**_Mi n-niño tiene sueño… bendito sea, bendito sea…_****"**

"…Tino!" He whispered-shouted, crouching near the Fin. He was gripping his left arm tightly, even if the jacket wasn't stained with blood or anything.

Tino's head snapped up. "Feli…!" he smiled weakly.

"Tino, what happened here?" Feliciano asked.

The Fin's expression darkened. "…The RED got rid of us all…first Bella, then Yao, and then me…" he paused. "I do not know what happened to Romano, I think I was unconscious for a couple of minutes. When I got by again, the flames were gone and…"

**"…****_Fuentecita que corre… clara y s-sonora…_**

**_Ruiseñor que e-en la selva cantando llora…_****"**

"…_this_ started." Tino raised his chin, looking to his left. Where the glum voice was coming from. Feliciano gulped. Flames? So that's why the boulders were black, and there were tiny little flames here and there. However, he had a bad feeling about this. "How are you? You don't look wounded…"

Tino shook his head slowly. "No major things, except…well, I think my arm is broken. Yao and Bella are worse…where are the others?"

Feliciano pointed behind him with his head. "They're coming. Don't worry." He then stood up, going for the source of the song.

**"…****_Calla mientras la cuna se b-balansea…_**

**_A la nanita n-n-nana, nanita e-ella…_****"**

The voice was definitely a distorted one. Feliciano frowned, as he took a step, but was stopped by the Fin tugging his sleeve. "Wait…! Be careful, Feli…!" He warned. Feliciano gulped again, and then nodded. Tino let go of his sleeve, and went for the RED that was singing. Why was he singing? Why did he sound so sad? The words of the song were often interrupted by sobs or hiccups. Feliciano became deeply worried. What if something bad had happened…? Like, really really bad…?

He walked around the boulders towards the source of the singing, ash floating in the air with every single step. After another turn, he finally saw somebody.

**"…****_A la nanita nana, nanita ella, nanita ella…_****"**

It was the RED. Antonio. He was kneeling, while hugging softly a limp body. He was cradling it back and forth, while singing the song. Tears flowed from the RED's eyes, falling on a very pale face. Antonio didn't give any sign of noticing him standing some metres away-

**"…****_Mi niño tiene sueño… bendito sea, bendito sea…_****"**

Feliciano felt his heart sink, when he recognized his brother, leaning limply in the RED's arms. He wasn't moving. He wasn't cursing. Feliciano saw the horrible wound that had his flesh all torn open, in the area around his neck and right shoulder.

He simply didn't believe it. He couldn't. He didn't _want_ to believe it. He slowly took a trembling step, and then another. He walked towards the two figures, but didn't quite feel _there_. He felt like he was walking in a dream. Or rather, a nightmare.

Antonio stopped singing abruptly, and lifted his head up. The silvery light of the moon enhanced every single tear he had shed or that were still in his eyes. There was genuine sorrow in those forest green orbs. His mask, his _teeth_, was covered in blood. When he opened his mouth, Feliciano winced. However, Antonio did not move. He whispered something.

**"…Do it."**

Feliciano was startled at the words. Do what? He looked down at the motionless body, and then up again at the Spaniard. Antonio raised his chin, exposing his neck and chest. He was still crying.

**"Please…j-just do it."**

Feliciano was unsure at first, not knowing what to do. He simply couldn't think, with his brother lying like there…his own 'death' of more than a year earlier must not have been too different. He felt tears rolling down his own eyes, and then reached out his right hand towards the Spaniard. As soon as he touched his chest, the armour cracked, black liquid pouring out. The hand glowed brightly from under the bandages, and the warm feeling spread through his hand, all up to his elbow.

Antonio's shoulders shook once, and then he fell sideways, eyes closed. His grip loosened on Romano's body, and he too fell, beside Antonio.

Feliciano felt the world crumble around him as he fell onto his knees, not even noticing he hadn't fainted. Somewhere behind him, he heard the others finally had also gotten through the wall.

But he didn't care anymore.

Somewhere, far away, a black Rook was toppled on a chess board.

* * *

**...I think I will go and hide in a ditch somewhere.**

**_Sheiße : _**_(german) shit_

**_Merde :_**_ (french) shit_

**___Dov'è Romano?! : _**___(italian) where's Romano?!_

**_Sodeju! : _**_(dutch-flemish) darn it! (courteus way of saying it)_

**_Imbecille!_**_ **: **(italian) imbecile!_

**___Hitto vie…paholainen... : _**___(finnish) damn it...demon..._

**___Muere : _**___(spanish) die_

**___Comida :_**___ (spanish) food_

**___Cazzo! :_**___ (italian) shit! (lit. 'dick')_

**___Sta fermo, stronzo! :_**___ (italian) stay still, asshole!_

**___Oh, Dios... :_**___ (spanish) oh, God..._

**________****_¡_**Perdoname...! :___ (spanish) forgive me!_

___****__Yo no…Yo… : __(spanish) I don't...I..._

___****__¡Mirame…! : __(spanish) look at me!_

___****__¡Abre tus ojos, Romano, por favor…! : __(spanish) open your eyes, Romano, please!_**  
**

_____..._

_____**Youtube link: /watch?v=pxlcMlnFapA**  
_

_**A la nanita nana, nanita ella, nanita ella **(Come, let's sing a little lullaby, come let's sing a little)_  
_** Mi niño tiene sue**__**ño,**_ bendito sea, bendito sea (My baby boy is sleepy, blessed be, blessed be)  
_** Fuentecita que corre clara y sonora **(Little spring running clear and loud)_  
_** Ruiseñor que en la selva cantando llora **(Nightingale that in the forest sings and weeps)_  
_** Calla mientras la cuna se balansea **(Hush, while the cradle rocks)_  
_** A la nanita nana, nanita ella **(Come, let's sing a little lullaby, come lets sing a little)_


	30. Interlude

**...**

**...**

**...ENJOY**

* * *

Ludwig didn't know what to do when he finally found Feliciano. He was just kneeling there, staring into nothingness, crying silently. The boy didn't move or make any motion to signal that he had seen the German, or any of the others, for that matter. Nothing. And that was even more worrying than him panicking or spazzing around. Ludwig glanced around, horrified at the two bodies laying not so far away, and shockingly recognized Romano. Of course. That was why Feliciano was in shock...

Ludwig knelt down, and did the only thing he could think of: he hugged the Italian without saying a word. He knew how it felt to lose a brother. Well, technically Gilbert hadn't died, but still, being transformed into a RED was as close as it got. Feliciano didn't react. He didn't say anything or even move a finger. The only sign the Italian was 'there' was the fact that he was still crying his eyes out, albeit doing so silently.

Ludwig frowned, glancing at Feliciano's right hand which was resting on the ground. He could see the scales had spread out even more, still in that vein-like pattern, from under the bandages, now reaching all the way up to his elbow. That certainly wasn't a good sign, but they had more pressing matters to attend to. He'd talk about this with Arthur later.

Everyone had gotten through the hole in the wall by that point and was helping the injured. Yao was apparently the most beat up. Tino luckily only had a broken arm and Bella had a nasty slash across her back, but fortunately, it was not too deep. Ludwig didn't dare look at Romano. He had briefly glanced at the older Italian already, and was met with the worst wound he had ever seen, eliciting a wince.

Everyone around them hurried to the two motionless bodies to help, of course, but Feliciano seemed to snap out of his shock when they tried pulling up his brother's body.

He blinked, eyes focusing again, and shoved Ludwig aside, dashing for the others. "_Don't you touch him!_" he shrieked. He pushed them all aside and slumped over Romano, sobs shaking his whole body. He looked up, to Ludwig's surprise, _glaring_ at the group. That expression was so wrong on the happy-go-lucky Feliciano. "_Non osate toccarlo_," he hissed.

The others present, particularly Francis, Mathias and Emil, looked at each other, unsure of what to do. Ludwig felt Feliciano's grief as if it were his own. He had never known the older brother well, nor had he ever especially liked him, but still, the fact that Romano was gone...unsettled him. He edged nearer, moving slowly, as if any sudden motion would scare the younger Italian. Ludwig raised a hand to show that he neither meant to take Romano away nor to cause the heartbroken boy any more pain. Feliciano sobbed again, more tears running down his cheeks and falling on Romano's ashen face. He wasn't glaring anymore. He just looked like a scared child again, staring up at the German, eyes begging for any help.

"L-Ludwig…_Romano è…è_…!" Feliciano couldn't finish the sentence as his sobs started anew. He simply bowed his head and let them come.

"Sshhh…" Ludwig whispered, not knowing what else to say. Heck, what_ could_ he say? He couldn't say that everything was okay because obviously, everything _wasn't_ okay. He edged even closer and this time, Feliciano didn't make any move to shove him away. Ludwig embraced him tightly again. Feliciano let go of his brother and leaned on the German's chest, wailing loudly.

Arthur suddenly appeared and gasped.

"_Oh, bloody hell…_"

Ludwig's face lit up as he looked at the Brit. He was their medic so surely he would know what to do…right? Feliciano continued bawling into Ludwig's broad chest and didn't see the Englishman.

"_Sourcils_! Do something!" Francis exclaimed, kneeling beside Antonio who was also wounded, but the Frenchman obviously meant Romano.

"W-what could I do?!" Arthur glanced at Romano, "He's probably already d-"

Mathias hurriedly interrupted him with an elbow to the ribs. "Bro, you don't know that. Do doctor-y stuff! I dunno, like, check his pulse or something!"

Arthur looked first at Mathias, then at Feliciano sobbing in Ludwig's arms, and then at Romano.

"…Oh, bollocks."

* * *

He was standing on a pitch-black floor in an equally pitch-black place. Where was he…? Was he dead?

He felt warm. Too warm. Hot. Burning. He was on fire. No, he certainly wasn't dead.

He frantically looked around. Surely there'd be some water somewhere, so he could cool down…? Nope.

Ugh, just great…! Why did he feel hungry?

Something caressed his cheek lightly and he turned to look at who or what it was. It was a hand. A black, clawed hand. What…?

A pair of violet eyes opened up, gleaming in the dark. The black hand stretched out to him.

**"Come with me…"**

Huh? What?

No! Like hell! The person to whom those eyes belonged didn't…_feel _right.

No. He would not go with him.

He turned away from the violet eyes and walked in the opposite direction. He didn't want to have _anything_ to do with that black hand.

The eyes reappeared directly in front of him, scaring the living daylights out of him and making him take a few steps back. What was happening…?

**"****_Come. With me._****"** It felt more like an order this time, but he didn't take the hand. He wouldn't do that. He _couldn't _do that. It felt wrong. He frantically shook his head, stepping back again.

The person with the violet eyes snarled and forcefully grabbed his hand. Antonio gasped at the sudden movement and felt very heavy all of a sudden. Somehow, half of his face also felt frozen in place.

What in the heavens…? He looked around again, searching for the hand or the eyes, but they had disappeared into the dark. Weird.

He was still burning, however, and as he was looking around, the floor under his feet disappeared suddenly. He yelled as he began to fall. However, the fall didn't last long, and he fell right on his feet onto another floor.

More precisely, a chess board.

What was happening!? He looked around again.

Suddenly, random chess pieces started falling out of the air, landing all around him with a loud _thud_, rebounding a little and causing the whole board to quake. He observed them and noticed they were all black.

Huh? He was fairly sure a chess game also had white pieces…where were they, then? He turned to look around, but he was surrounded only by the black pieces.

Wait, did they just move closer?

He didn't like it. They had trapped him in a circle…! He felt like he was being watched by all those pieces, especially by a King, a Rook and two Knights. The other black silhouettes were all simple pawns.

At some point, he felt his feet become heavy and a strange feeling crept up from his legs. Huh…? He looked down and saw that they had glued together and formed something like…the base of a black chess piece.

…What.

The lower half of his body had become a chess piece, and some sort of black crown was resting on top of his head. The strange thing was, the crown wasn't pointy, but was all squared, kind of like the battlements of a tower... The crown of a Rook.

He frowned. He wasn't one of the black pieces, _that,_ at least, he knew. He wasn't, and would never be one of them...! He blinked, and suddenly all the black pieces disappeared. He heard something move behind him, so he whirled around as best as he could with his legs glued together to face another chess piece.

It was a white one, this time.

A Queen.

Antonio was somehow frightened of the piece. He felt something like a deep-rooted instinct gnawing at him. It told him to run, run far away from the piece. As far as he could...! However, he couldn't move. From the chess piece appeared two white slender arms, and a weapon materialized out of nowhere.

"…Onio…!" he heard a voice echo through the dark space.

It was a known voice, he was fond of it, but he couldn't remember who it belonged to…

The weapon the Queen was wielding was a broken sword. The white chess piece swung the weapon behind itself, and then at him. He ducked, and the 'crown' he had been wearing was cut in half. An angered roar echoed through the dark space, but somehow, Antonio had the distinct feeling the anger of the voice wasn't sincere...

Suddenly, the chess board and the Queen disappeared, and he fell down again. This time, his fall seemed to last forever. However, the burning heat within somehow dissipated, and the hard thing on his face also melted away. Finally, he hit the bottom of his fall. Hard. He thudded and fell in a formless heap, all curled up on himself, groaning. Nnngh, that hurt!

"…Ntonio!"

Whose voice was it? He lifted his head groggily to look around, and another pair of eyes opened up in the darkness. They were hazel brown, with goldenrod speckles, and they had a gold-like shimmer to them.

"…Antonio, wake up!"

Huh…? So that was his name… And yes, it was a familiar voice, but it didn't belong to the person with the golden eyes. It was a feminine voice. He groggily stood up, body still aching, and started walking towards the eyes.

The eyes turned away, and the figure they belonged to started walking away.

No! He started running, and stretched out a hand towards the figure. He wouldn't lose him again…!  
…Again…?

He finally reached the figure, and tapped its shoulder. Those eyes turned to look at him, and he smiled. He had found him again…!

Suddenly, he felt a light chilly breath caress his ear, and someone whispered in it,

**"…Such a shame, Antonio…"**

A shiver ran down his spine, and he didn't dare move. That mocking voice belonged to the person with violet eyes…! B-but how…

**"…You looked for him so ****_desperately_****. And I have to admit that I was surprised that in the end, you actually found him…!"**

A pause. Antonio still wasn't moving, and was still looking at the golden eyes. The voice purred in his ear.

**"…Too bad...you ****_killed_**** him."**

Antonio blinked, and the golden eyes disappeared, as did the presence of the voice.

W-what did he say…? K-kill…?  
He looked down at his hands and gasped. They were covered in blood. Red liquid dripped from his fingers and from his lips into a pool on the ground. He finally remembered a name, and yelled it at the top of his lungs.

"_ROMANOOOO!_"

* * *

Ludwig observed Arthur kneeling down beside Romano's body. The German held his breath as Arthur checked Romano's pulse, if there was any. Mathias, Francis and Emil did so as well, bracing themselves for the worst. Feliciano was still sobbing in Ludwig's shirt, which was probably soaking wet by that point, but much more silently. The only evidence that he was still crying was his shoulders, shaking and jerking with each breath.

The Brit's massive eyebrows shot up after a handful of dreadful seconds. "Bloody hell…"

"What is it?! Tell us, _Sourcils_!" Francis blurted out.

Arthur raised his head. "There is a pulse! The faintest one I have ever experienced, but it's there!"

Ludwig felt Feliciano gasp in his arms, but the boy didn't move. He did stop shaking, however. Everyone there let out a collective sigh of relief.

"Well, what the bloody hell are you waiting for?! Get the guy some bandages! And fetch Lukas for me, now!" Arthur barked at the three standing figures, who dashed away immediately. Ludwig frowned as he saw the Brit pick up a piece of charcoal and start drawing something with it first on his hands, and then around Romano's wide wound.  
Emil reappeared, along with Lukas. Arthur threw him the piece of charcoal and held up his hand. "Quick, copy these runes onto your hands as well."

Lukas caught the charcoal, but frowned. "Is it wise, to use healing magic with this? And…I thought you had your _pride_ of not showing me your magi-"

"Now is _not_ the bloody time to argue about inaccurate magic rituals or spells copyright! Copy those runes or I swear on the Queen's bloody grave that _I. will. make you_!" Arthur snarled. Lukas blinked and then hastily scribbled the symbols on his own hands.

Ludwig glanced down as Feliciano murmured something into his shirt. "What is it, Feliciano…?"  
"_È vivo…vivrà...è vivo…_" he heard the Italian whisper. Ludwig hugged him tighter. Feliciano was already building and piecing back together his hopes and the German did not want to think about what could happen if it turned out to be too late for Romano. He prayed, actually prayed, for the best.

Francis appeared from behind another boulder, carrying some bandages, and saw the scribbles the Brit had drawn. He frowned. "Arthur, _mon ami_, you're not in any shape to do that kind of stuff, _non?_"

"Shut your trap, frog. I know that," the Brit growled, scribbling more symbols on the pavement around Romano's body. "Hand me those bandages, now. And would you mind carrying the RED away? I need to draw there."

"But-"

"Why does it look like you're all trying to prevent me from helping somebody else?!" The Brit shouted, not even looking up from the ground he was drawing on, "Who cares if the ritual isn't exactly how it should be? I know I should be using chalk or ink, but charcoal is all we have, okay?! And who cares if I pass out, or reopen my wound, or something else! I'm a bloody medic, and as one, I will help anyone who is in need! Now _give me_those bandages before I hex you all into a bloody broom!"

He stretched out his hand for said bandages, and Francis gave them hesitantly, as if the Brit would lash out at him if he made any sudden movement.

Arthur snatched the bandages from the Frenchman and scuttled closer to the older of the Italian brothers. He started patching him up as fast as he could, so he wouldn't lose anymore blood. Judging by the amount of it smeared onto the ground and rocks and – Arthur winced – Antonio himself, Romano didn't have much more blood in him anymore. Francis quickly picked up Antonio's arms and dragged him away from the runes Arthur was drawing.

The Brit frowned at the realisation he'd have to add some more details to the spell, and as soon as he had bandaged the wound, careful not to smudge any of the runes, he drew more of them onto the white cloths.

"That's... that's an impressive combination of spells," Lukas gaped, looking at the symbols already drawn and the ones the Brit was writing still.

"How are the others?" Ludwig asked Francis. The Frenchman shrugged. "Tino luckily only has a broken arm along with some bruises and burns. Bella has a nasty bleeding wound on her back, but it doesn't look too deep. As for Yao, he's worse, but Kiku is already looking after him. He's not a medic, but knows some basics, I guess…"

"What's his condition?"

"Well, he has a broken leg, a load of bruises, cuts and burns, a wound to the head and one to the chest..." Francis started counting on his fingertips.

"OI! Get out of here, now. Antonio too," Arthur barked, standing up beside the Norwegian. Francis immediately resumed dragging the Spaniard through the rubble and Ludwig delicately tapped Feliciano on his shoulders.

"Feli...?"

A sniff was the answer, before a trembling "Y-Yes...?"

"We have to go now. Arthur will take care of everything, but we'll have to leave them to do this alone. I...Eh...Can you walk?" Ludwig asked, unsure.

Feliciano nodded after a couple of moments. "Yes..." they released the embrace, and the Italian limply stood up. He was weak after having cured Antonio, and almost fell down again. However, he was helped up by a certain German.

"Watch out."

"Yeah...Sorry..." Feliciano whispered, before following Francis and Antonio away from the Brit, the Norwegian and...Romano.

The Brit sighed and glanced at Lukas. "Ready?"

Lukas nodded slowly, examining the runes on his hands. "Hm, _ja_. But I don't know the incantation..."

"There's no time for me to teach it to you. I'll do it, alright?"

The Norwegian nodded again, clasping his hands together. "...Go."

The Brit took a deep breath, clasped his hands together as well and started chanting in Latin. As soon as he had said the first syllables, the symbols on his and Lukas' hands started glowing.

"_Ex vulneri recrea Romanum, eum a mortis limine restitue. Sanguinem reprime et redde quod Romano amisit._"

The charcoal runes around Romano and on his bandages started glowing as well.

Arthur closed his eyes as he felt his strength sapped by the spell. He hoped with all his might that this would work.

"_Ex vulneri recrea Romanum, eum a mortis limine restitue. Sanguinem reprime et redde quod Romano amisit._ _Ex vulneri recrea Romanum…_"

* * *

Meanwhile, Francis, Antonio, Feliciano and Ludwig reached the others who were all grouped together. Bella's torso was wrapped in bandages, though they could see it was not professional work. The cloth was wrapped sloppily, even dangling in some places. For now, however, it would do. Tino didn't need any bandages. He needed a stick or something to keep the offended bone straight. Yao, however, was a different issue. Kiku, Matthew and Emil were doing their best, but none of them were a skilled medic. The young Chinese wasn't in danger of dying, but still, his condition was not to be taken lightly.

The three of them, Feliciano, Ludwig and Francis, who was still dragging Antonio along behind him, walked a bit away from the big group, as not to disturb them.

Bella, however, hurried over as soon as she saw them. "Antonio! Feli, did you…?" the Belgian asked, eyes sparkling with hope. Feliciano nodded weakly, a faint smile on his face.

Bella sighed, relieved. "What about Romano? Where is he?" she asked, still smiling. Feliciano's smile disappeared, Ludwig tensed up and Francis let the Spaniard lay down. No one answered.

"Guys…?" She asked, confused.

Francis walked over to her, a sudden wide but fake smile on his face. "Romano is fine, _cher!_ He just has a little problem so Arthur is dealing with him right now."

Bella let out a breath of relief. "Oh, thank goodness…! For a moment I thought-"

"How is your back, _cher?_" The Frenchman asked, interrupting whatever she was going to say next. Feliciano and Ludwig sat on a boulder not too far away.

The Belgian smiled weakly. "Luckily, Antonio wasn't too harsh on me…Apparently, the wound isn't too deep, so…"

A loud crack interrupted them. They looked immediately at Antonio, lying on the pavement. The ruby red armour was filling with cracks, spreading like a web over his body.

"…Antonio!" Bella squeaked, hurrying over to his side and kneeling down. Many cracks followed, and after a small pause, the armour shattered wholly. The mask lasted a few moments more, but then also shattered, leaving just Antonio.

His face was serene and he had his normal mouth again with cheeks, lips, chin and everything. Bella's eyes started watering as she smiled. "Oh, Antonio…you are back…" she paused and pulled some bangs away from the Spaniard's sweaty and bloodied forehead. "W-we missed you…"

Tears started falling from her eyes, but rather than of sadness, they were of joy. She and Antonio had been surviving together ever since the Disaster, and especially after they had found Romano, they had been inseparable. They had been a good team, albeit a strange one with Antonio behaving more like a child than the adult he was, Romano scolding and headbutting him from time to time and herself, the most 'normal' of the trio. She chuckled, remembering those times.

Suddenly, she noticed Antonio's face wasn't that serene anymore. He was frowning and grimacing, as if he were having a nightmare.

She gently shook his shoulder. "Antonio…" but she received no answer. Francis appeared by her side. "Tonio!" He called out, definitely louder than Bella. She looked at the Frenchman and started calling out more loudly as well, shaking Antonio's shoulders.

"Antonio!"

The Spaniard was still grimacing.

"Antonio, wake up!" Bella yelled. Francis knelt down and started slapping the Spaniard's face back and forth.

"I swear that if you do not wake up right now I'll-" he started, but was interrupted as Antonio suddenly opened his eyes and inhaled deeply as if he hadn't taken a breath in ages. Then he screamed.

"_ROMANOOOO!_"

Everyone stared at him as he shot up in a sitting position and started coughing. Bella patted him lightly on the back. "Antonio…" She whispered, smiling.

"B- Bel?!" cough "Bel!" cough cough "_¿Dónde_" cough "_estoy_?"

"With friends…_welkom terug!_" She said, smiling and crying at the same time. Antonio, however, wasn't smiling at all. He was grimacing, touching his lips with a trembling hand, lost in thought. He slowly got first to his knees, and then he stood up, his balance a bit awkward.

"Antonio…?" Bella asked, worried by his behavior. Francis was eyeing him anxiously. "Toni, _mon ami, _is everything alright?"

Antonio furrowed his eyebrows, his balance still unstable. He looked around, arms swaying with each turn, confused. His eyes darted around, and fell on Feliciano, still sitting on a rock. He frowned. "R-Romano…?" he murmured, taking one step towards Feliciano. Ludwig tensed up beside him; he didn't have the slightest idea of how this guy would act…

Antonio slowly shook his head, and took a step back. "N-no, you're not Romano…"

Feliciano winced, and Ludwig straightened his shoulders and back, ready for anything.

Antonio started touching his face again, especially his lips. "I-I'm normal…again? How…how is this possible?" he whirled around when a certain Frenchman tapped his shoulder.

"I think we owe you some explanations, Toni," he smiled. Bella stood behind him, still crying a little.

She tackle-hugged the Spaniard, shoving aside the Frechman. "Antonio…!"

Antonio staggered a little, surprised. "F-Francis?! B-but how!?" He turned to look at Feliciano, sudden realisation filling his green eyes. "You…you are the _Queen_…"

Feliciano cocked his head to the side. "Eh?" a Queen? But…that didn't make sense…He was a male!

Antonio suddenly jerked sideways, shaking Bella off unceremoniously. She let out a very unladylike "Oof!" He looked around again and his nostrils flared as he sniffed the air. "Romano…!" he whispered.

Feliciano frowned, not understanding. "Wait, what…?"  
Antonio bolted away through the rubble and disappeared.

"_Ex vulneri recrea Romanum, eum a mortis limine restitue… Sanguinem reprime et redde quod Romano amisit… Ex vulneri recrea Romanum, eum a mortis limine restitue… Sanguinem reprime et redde quod Romano amisit…_"

Arthur felt himself become weaker and weaker with every word. The spell made it so that the blood that hadn't dried up yet would re-enter Romano's system through the wound, and then said wound would close up. But that was the theory. This spell was a combination of many other spells, including levitation of liquid, fluid arrest and healing. In reality, the last phase, the wound healing part, had just started and they were both already drained. Lukas could barely stand anymore, and he himself was also having problems. "_Ex vulneri recrea Romanum… eum a mortis limine restitue… Sanguinem reprime et redde quod Romano amisit…_"

Lukas suddenly exhaled deeply and lost consciousness, the spell having sapped too much energy. Arthur gritted his teeth, willing himself to stay standing. A single sweat drop rolled down his cheek to his chin. He had to finish this.

"_Ex vulneri recrea Romanum… eum a mortis limine restitue… Sanguinem reprime… et redde quod Romano amisit..._"

He was panting now, and his vision was blurred. Darn it…! He felt the old wound on his chest throb with each heartbeat, but continued chanting. One more time, just one more and he'd be out of danger…! Please, heart, don't give in right now!

"_Ex vulneri recrea… Romanum… eum a mortis limine… restitue… Sanguinem reprime… et redde… quod Romano… amisit…!_"

He felt the last ounce of energy leave his fingertips with the last words, and he collapsed onto his knees. He didn't pass out, but the symbols and runes stopped glowing. Romano was out of danger. He breathed a sigh of relief. Then, from the corner of his eye, he saw a dark figure whirl past him.

"Wha-"

"_Romano!_"

It was Antonio.

Antonio ran to the lying figure, fell on his knees and hovered over the figure. "Romano! Oh God, Romano! W-what have I done, I-I-I…!" He embraced the Italian tightly, lifting the upper half of his body up. He was crying again, and didn't notice anything, not the runes, not the passed out Norwegian, not the moments-from-passing-out Brit, not the bandages. Feliciano, Ludwig, Francis and Bella had followed him, and they now edged nearer slowly.

However, he did notice when the body in his embrace shifted a little. Antonio gasped, holding Romano at an arm's length from him, unbelieving. "R-Romano…?"

One of Romano's eyes slowly fluttered open, revealing a golden-hazel eye.

"…Roma!" Antonio exclaimed, still crying, as he wanted to hug the Italian closer again. However, Romano did something so inappropriate for the situation, yet so appropriate for him, that he left the Spaniard completely stunned.

He punched him. Hard. Enough to make him fall backwards on his butt.

"You fucking _asshole_!" The Italian yelled, sitting up straight after having punched Antonio. The Spaniard rubbed his cheek, a stunned but still relieved look on his face and tears still falling. Antonio sobbed once, and hauled his arms around Romano, who apparently did not appreciate it, again.

"Don't hug me, you bastard! The fuck has gotten into you anyway, why are you so clingy?! You gone nuts or something?!_ Fottutissimo pezzo di merda!_ Oh, wait, no, you always were stupid, sorry if I forgot! And why in fuck's sake are you crying?!" Romano stopped ranting as he saw Antonio's shoulders shake, the Spaniard sobbing into his shirt.

"_O-oh, Roma... ¡Eres vivo! ¡Vivo! ¡Dios, p-p-perdoname! Yo…yo…_"

Romano punched him on the head, hitting him multiple times, although not as hard as before. "Moron…! Don't fucking apologise!" Romano started crying as well, but tried to hide the fact. Poorly. "Y-You stop crying right now, you hear me?! Man up, damnit!"

Antonio was still sobbing into Romano's shirt, clenching the fabric tightly in his fists, but now smiling a little. Romano slowly caressed the Spaniard's curls. "Don't f-fucking cry, bastard, you're ruining my shirt…"

The four bystanders recovered from the shock. Feliciano blinked and leapt for his brother.

"_Fratellone!_" he shouted, before tackle-hugging his brother from behind so that Romano was squeezed between him and Antonio, not too unlike a sandwich.

"GHAAAAH! What the flying FUCK, Feli! You scared the shit out of me!"

"_Fratellone!_ Oh, thank you so much, Arthur! Thank you! Roma! We were all so worried! I thought you were d-d-d-d-d…!" Feliciano cried out, tears rolling down his face also. He couldn't bring himself to say the last word.

"I was fucking _what, _Feli."

Antonio released the hug, and looked up. "You…you were dead…" Had he perhaps forgotten what had happened?

"Pfffft! Of course not, and definitely by your hands, o-or something else, bastard." Romano snorted. "I'd get out of the deepest of hells just to fucking annoy and scare the crap out of you."

Antonio was stunned for a moment. He remembered everything, yet he forgave him? Slowly, a smile stretched onto his face. That was Romano alright. Acting all tough, but being an angel, under all those layers of curses and rudeness. "Romano…_Gracias…_"

"Oh no, you are so not starting to speak Spanish again. That language pisses me off, it sounds like a bad copy of Italian," Romano grumbled, trying to wiggle himself free from Feliciano, who was still hugging him from behind.

Antonio's smile widened, and then he started laughing, as he hugged Romano tightly again. "Oh, Romano, I missed you so much…!"

"What the fuck, you maniac!? Let me go! I already have to deal with one clingy, idiotic brother, I do not want to deal with a clingy immature bastard!" Romano struggled even more, but it was useless. His movements were completely blocked by the other two, who were sobbing and laughing at the same time. "I'm surrounded by idiots…" he sighed, hopeless.

Bella was the third who came over, running fast despite her wound. "Romanooooo!"

"NonononoNOOOOO!" Romano yelled, as he saw her approaching and desperately tried to wiggle free to dodge the charging Belgian. Alas, there was no way of doing that, so the sandwich-hug became a dog pile, complete with a cacophony of laughs, hiccups, sobs and a very long, very loud string of angry curses.

While Ludwig checked up on Lukas, Francis helped up Arthur, and sustained him. "Wow, amazing, _Sourcils…! _I didn't know you could do that kind of thing!" he marveled at the runes, and at the healed Romano.

Arthur wheezed. "Me neither… It was all improvised. Luckily, Lukas was here, or else it would not have worked with me alone…" The Brit started coughing.

"Whoa, take it easy, Potter boy. Let's go and settle you down so you can rest."

"No, I can't rest. Yao still needs my help…!"

"Rest, Arthur. He'll live, he's not in danger of dying."

"I said I can't rest, frog! Bloody idiot, stop telling the medic what he's supposed to do!"

Francis laughed, and they left along with Ludwig, who was carrying Lukas, so they could leave the motley group in to have their reunion in peace.

* * *

**OOOOoooOOOoooOOOH ****_GOD_****! Holy ****_shit, _****man!**

**I'm so sorry for the wait! I didn't upload on friday, and let you dangling there! So, so sorry! School really IS crushing me! I'm having at least one test every day (since the past two weeks, and this coming week also) so I had/have to study all the time...! When I finished writing this chapter I couldn't restrain myself, so here's a random upload on monday 8D**

**Also I won't upload this friday, sadly... but after this week, all of my tests should be over, so I should be able to write normally again! :D I can't wait...!**

**(Needless to say, YAY! Romano isn't dead! *le happy dance*)**

**Oh, and I really have to say a big, great, enormous, gargantuan, titanic, colossal, ginormous, massive THANKS to ****_cassandraHawkeyechekov_****...! Thanks again, dear!**

**And of course, an AWESOME thanks to ALL OF YOU guys/girls! 12.500+ views! 252 reviews! 62 faves and 62 follows! I love you all SO MUCH! You have NO idea! *dances around even more***

**Again, I hope you liked it...! So, well, until next chapter, hm? ;)  
(I should be studying right now... *stomps away to her books grumbling*)**

**_Non osate toccarlo : _**_(italian) Don't you dare touch him_

**_Romano è…è…! : _**_(italian) Romano is...is...!_

**_Sourcils : _**_(french) Eyebrows_

**_È vivo…vivrà...è vivo… : _**_(italian) He's alive...he'll live...he's alive..._

**_Mon ami :_**_ (french) My friend_

**_Ex vulneri recrea Romanum, eum a mortis limine restitue. Sanguinem reprime et redde quod Romano amisit. :_**_ (latin) Heal Romano from the wound, bring him back from the threshold of death. Stop his blood flow, and give him back the blood he's lost._

**_Cher :_**_ (french) Dear_

**_¿Dónde estoy? : _**_(spanish) Where am I?_

**_Welkom terug : _**_(dutch) Welcome back_

**_Fottutissimo pezzo di merda! : _**_(italian) Fucking piece of shit! (note: 'fottutissimo' is superlative of 'fucking', xD)_

**_¡Eres vivo! ¡Vivo! ¡Dios, p-p-perdoname! Yo…yo… : _**_(spanish) You're alive! Alive! God, f-f-forgive me! I...I..._

**_Fratellone :_**_ (italian) Big brother_


	31. Breaking the Corridor

**Ciao everybody! How are you all doing? Here's another random update on monday! :D**

**Also, kind of a short chapter, even if it was a pain for me to write DX I don't know, again, a lot of clues and explanations that I had to organise in a logical way... I think my brain died. **

**Anyhow! YES! I survived the tests week! This is my last week of school! :D**

**Anyway, I doubt anyone is interested in my rant, so sit back und ENJOY.**

* * *

Antonio was soon introduced to the rest of the group and everyone reacted in shock as they heard about how Romano had almost_died_ at his hands, though things calmed down once they saw that the older Italian was ok. Romano's wound was still there, but had already begun to heal thanks to Arthur's magic. Antonio introduced himself to Gilbert, Francis and Lukas, this time formally and properly, and soon enough, the four men were laughing and talking together, finally relieved of their inner struggles.

Arthur found the willpower and strength to patch up Yao, but only after Antonio had obviously given a long string of apologies and explanations, directed at the Chinese, the Fin, the Belgian, the Spaniard himself and a grumpy Italian. Said Italian headbutted him, regardless of his own or the Spaniard's wounds. Antonio also tightly hugged the _other_ Italian, smiling broadly, to thank him for curing him. Again, this resulted in one of Romano's angry fits.

Alfred was ranting with Mathias about something, and both were purposely pissing off poor Lukas and Berwald. By the end, a very pissed off Norwegian started chasing the duo, brandishing a crowbar he got from somewhere, while Berwald had luckily been restrained from going off on a rampage by a certain Fin, who, even with a broken arm, was stronger than the massive Swede, a fact that was fairly unsettling, to say the least.

Matthew was quietly having an amicable conversation with Kiku, Emil and Yao about their favorite foods from their homelands. However, when Yao mentioned his, the others all made a disgusted face, and Emil started arguing angrily with the Chinaman, who seemed unfazed.

Ludwig talked a bit to Feliciano, whose eyes were still puffy because of the tears. Then he brought him over to Arthur, remembering the scales. Feliciano also had a dreamy look in his eyes, probably still relieved that Romano hadn't died after all. However, he noticed when Arthur frowned, looking at his hand. Feliciano glanced down at it and yelped in fear.

"Ve!"

The scales had spread out even more, as Ludwig had noticed earlier, appearing from under the bandages and going all the way up to his elbow, still in that vein-like pattern. Feliciano started panicking _again_. It didn't matter that it was inevitable that this would happen. It still scared him.

"Ve, Ludd! I'm scared! What's happening?!"

"Don't panic, Feli. Everything's okay…" Ludwig said soothingly. Or tried to, at least. Feliciano did not believe the German.

"No, it's not okay…! I don't, I-I-I…I'm scared…!" he repeated, at a loss for better words to explain his confusion.

"Feliciano, do you feel different in any way?" Arthur asked, still clueless about what was going on. Many thoughts and theories flashed behind his emerald and tired eyes, but he didn't express them.

Feliciano shook his head.

"No…! Nothing at all! I don't…I don't understand, Arthur…!"

"Me neither, and I'm afraid we never will."

"But-"

"Feliciano, _shut up!_" Ludwig barked, making the Italian yelp, but he did quiet down, at least. Ludwig sighed. Maybe he had been too harsh. "Uh, I mean, calm down, Feli. There's nothing we can do about it, I'm sorry. And I'm worried too."

"V-ve…"

"…But I agree with what Arthur said some time ago. That hand only did good up until now, so why not trust it?" Ludwig said, forcing a small smile to comfort the Italian.

Feliciano smiled a little. "Maybe…Ve…"

"Try to," Arthur suggested, bandaging the Italian's whole forearm.

"…Okay…" Feliciano sniffled, calming down.

Arthur suddenly stood up and clapped his hands.

"Guys, we need another meeting!"

Ludwig frowned. The Brit didn't look too good…and was he wobbling on his feet?

"Huh?" Alfred asked, popping out from behind a boulder. A loud '_BONK_' could be heard as Lukas finally brought the crowbar down on the American's head.

"I finally _got_ you," the Norwegian said with his everlasting pokerface.

"YEOOOOW!"

"Another meeting, I said, you wankers! Right now!" Arthur exclaimed. However, as soon as he said that, he collapsed.

* * *

Soon, they were sitting on the ground in a circle in a small clearing of the rubble. Arthur had passed out because of sheer exhaustion, and many others were tired as well, so they had gone to sleep. The ones who were left to lead the 'meeting' were Feliciano, Ludwig, Berwald, Mathias, Francis, Alfred, Emil, Gilbert and Antonio.

"So…why did Artie want a meeting, anyway?" Alfred asked, rubbing his head still and glancing at the sleeping figure of the Norwegian some meters away from them.

"Probably because of him," Emil pointed sideways with his thumb at Antonio.

"_¿Qué?_" Antonio looked up from Romano's sleeping figure, which was resting on his lap. The older Italian had also fallen asleep after saying, "Good-fucking-night, shitheads."

"He's talking about you, Toni," Gilbert snickered.

"Yeah, I got that, but why?" the Spaniard asked, puzzled.

Ludwig sighed. He understood what Emil had thought. Was the Spaniard really so dense…? Now that he thought about it, Antonio acted like an overgrown child. Not like Alfred or Mathias, full of energy and over-excited all the time, though. He acted more in a Feliciano-kind of way, dumb and clueless, but sweet in some kind of way.

"Antonio, I think we all want to know about…the Sentient, and anything else you know. If you remember…" Ludwig said, folding his arms.

Antonio blinked and swallowed before answering. He started talking, petting Romano's hair softly.

"W-well, of course I remember, but…where do I start…? For all I know, the Sentient might have lied the whole time when he talked to me."

Francis frowned. "What do you mean, Toni?"

"…Gilbert, do you remember when he got all angry because Francis got 'lost', and also when Lukas did as well?"

The albino nodded, and the others listened carefully.

"It was all an act. He never was really angry. In fact, he arranged everything, so that we would all meet our demise as…as REDs," Antonio murmured, looking down.

Gilbert straightened up, rage flaming in his eyes.

"What are you saying?! You mean he lied to us?! He _used _us?! Well, of course he did, but…Used our…us…uh? But for what?! Why…what…I don't…" his words died to a whisper.

Antonio nodded, and then shook his head.

"I-I don't get it either, but yes, he lied. I heard him laugh in his chamber when he received the news you had lost against the hum-" he coughed, "against them."

"_Das verdammt Arschloch!_" Gilbert hissed, clenching his fists and glaring at the small oil lamp in the middle of their circle, their only light source. That glare could probably have incinerated anything, but the lamp seemed unfazed by it. Besides glaring at the lamp, Gilbert was actually thinking, and every question he thought up made him more frustrated. So the Sentient had been spying on them? But why make it all so complicated? Why all these fake plots? Those fake orders!? Why eliminate them, one by one…? Why keep Feliciano alive? Why keep all the humans alive?! Why not send the Nightmares?! … Arggggh! It was all so confusing!

It was actually a miracle the lamp still hadn't turned into a pile of ashes.

Francis looked up. "What about the chess boards?"

The others glanced at each other with confused looks. "Chess boards? What the hell, dude?" Alfred asked, smirking, "You think the bad guy has enough time to waste on chess?"

Gilbert quirked an eyebrow. "Actually, he does."

Alfred looked taken aback, but then shrugged. "Whatever."

Antonio inhaled deeply. "Well, after I caught him laughing, I grew suspicious of him, so one time, when he left, I went into his room to look around at anything that could explain something to me. Aaaand I got caught." He smiled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck, but then got serious again, looking at the others who didn't know about the chess boards. "The Sentient has three chessboards, which apparently help him think about his schemes, whatever they are. He usually would never tell us what those pieces meant. However, when I got caught, he somehow started explaining to me what all the pieces symbolized to him."

He paused, looking up to remember. "Obviously a chess game has black pieces and white pieces. He had many black pawns; the simple ones were the normal Nightmares. The Bishops were the most evolved ones. The Knights were Francis and Lukas. Gilbert and I were the Rooks, and the Sentient himself was the King."  
Gilbert and Francis snickered. "He really thinks high of himself, doesn't he?" Francis smiled with a weak attempt at humor.

Antonio smiled a little, but then resumed talking. "As for the white pieces, they symbolized you, the…the _humans_. They were all random, except one." He looked around the circle, and locked his gaze onto Feliciano, who gasped.

_No way, right? No way…this isn't about me, is it?_ the Italian thought.

"…A white Queen symbolized _him_." Antonio said, cocking his head to one side, a puzzled look on his face, as he remembered exactly the Sentient's words when describing the piece. "However, I don't get why…"

Feliciano hunched his shoulders, uncomfortable with all of the looks on him, and fiddled with the bandages on his hand.

Ludwig huffed, leaning back against the boulder. It was obvious. "Well, it's because Feliciano can cure Nightmares and REDs. It's as simple as that."

"That still doesn't explain why he wants him alive, _bruder_," Gilbert frowned. "If I were in his place, I'd want someone like him eliminated…"

Feliciano inhaled sharply, and Ludwig took notice, snapping back at his older brother, "Stop talking about him like he isn't here!"

The albino put up his hands in defense. "Whoa, chill, Lutz! I didn't mean anything un-awesome with that!"

Ludwig snorted, glancing sideways at the obviously worried Italian. Dang it. Feliciano was upset again…

The Spaniard blinked, and then shook his head smiling. "You're probably right, Ludwig, that probably is the reason..."

However, he glanced at Feliciano briefly, and then sideways at Francis and Gilbert. He'd have to talk to them about something…

Mathias looked left and right in the circle. "So?"

"S' wh't," Berwald grunted.

The Dane turned to the Swede, wide-eyed. "I don't get it!" he exclaimed.  
Ludwig facepalmed, along with the Swede.

"No, really guys, I don't get it! What are we supposed to do now?! I mean, we have this kind of terrifying sonufabitch breathing down our necks, so what now?!" he exclaimed, waving his arms.

Alfred puffed his chest out, hitting it with his fist. "But of course! We fight him, we win and I'll be the HERO!" he flashed his broadest smile, and Feliciano could almost see an American flag waving behind him. He blinked, confused, and the flag disappeared. Well, that had been weird.

Emil knocked him forward with a back-of-the-head slap. "Moron. That would get us killed."

Gilbert shook his head. "And in any case, not one of us remembers the location of that asshole's shelter! He apparently took care of that."

Antonio blinked. "You don't remember?"

Francis gasped, "You _do_?"  
"I do?" Antonio asked with a clueless face, pointing at himself as if he wasn't quite sure.  
"The hell Toni, do you or don't you remember?!" Gilbert exclaimed, wide-eyed. It would actually make sense. If Antonio remembered everything when he was a RED, it meant that the Sentient had not been able to suppress his memories. So even if the Sentient had managed to erase his shelter's location from the other ex-REDs' minds, it probably had not worked on the Spaniard.

Antonio fidgeted with Romano's hair. "I-I do…"

"Holy shit, man!" Alfred shouted. "Okay, you'll be our scout! You'll bring us to the bad guy's lair! You, you, you and you will be my sidekicks! I will be the HER-"

The American's exclamation was interrupted by a shoe that flew out of nowhere and hit his head.

"Ow!"

Alfred stared down at the offending object, puzzled, but Francis recognized it. "_Quoi? Sourcils_, are you awake?"

"I am _now_, thanks to that git. Quiet down, the lot of ya. I'm bloody tired," a voice grumbled from under a blanket.

They all chuckled, but quickly composed themselves and started talking more quietly.

"Is it true, Toni? You remember that un-awesome _Arschloch's_ hiding place?" Gilbert asked eagerly. Ludwig frowned at this. Gilbert was hot-headed; he obviously wanted revenge. But, as Emil had pointed out, facing the Sentient would result only in their deaths, or all of them becoming REDs or Nightmares. Not anything he dreamed of especially.

"I do, b-but I agree with Emil!" the Spaniard hastily added. "I mean, that guy has an army of Nightmares ready… I don't think we should do that."

"And why would we even do that?" Ludwig asked. "To get _revenge_? So what, even if we might, and I mean _might _beat him and his Nightmares, then what? There would be wounded people, possibly dead ones. And then there still would be other Nightmares walking around. It wouldn't solve anything. Our top priority now is finding another shelter, like…like the Rock."

Mathias frowned at this. "Ludwig, you know that isn't possible."  
"I know, but that doesn't change the fact that we need a shelter away from the cities. With water. And rebuild from there."

Antonio brought a hand to his chin. "But…if we went to find him, it would overturn his plans."

Everyone froze and looked at him. "What?" Ludwig asked, astonished.

The Spaniard puffed his cheeks, as he thought back at the chess pieces. "He wants to trap us, somehow. I saw it on the chess boards. He wants to lead us to…somewhere. You get what I mean?" He glanced at Feliciano. "Feliciano, do you feel any Nightmares now?"

Feliciano answered after a few seconds, "No. I mean, there are Nightmares, but they are far away…"

"That means he isn't watching us right now, _correcto?_ Yep. So, the Sentient knows about Feliciano's abilities, and therefore positioned Nightmares so we would walk far away and around them, and so he could keep an eye on us at all times. But what if he arranged them so that we are currently standing in a corridor, where there's only _one_ way out? So, as far as I understood this, he wants to lead us somewhere. And personally, I do not like the idea," Antonio paused, earning slow nods from everybody, "However, I noticed that he never wanted us to know his hiding place. He feels safe. He erased the location from Francis, Lukas and Gilbert's minds, so wouldn't it be logic to do it with mine, too?" Antonio started reasoning.

Francis blinked. "…But it didn't work…"

Gilbert looked down frowning. "…So, because he did not predict this outcome…"

"…He'd be unprepared if we showed up right at his lair!" Antonio finished, eyes sparkling.

"It would st'll be a reckl'ss 'ction," Berwald grumbled.

Feliciano muttered something with such a soft voice that Ludwig had to ask him to repeat.

The Italian looked up from his fiddling hands. "H-he's right…there _was_ some kind of corridor, last night, when we went into this city!"

Ludwig blinked, and everyone turned to look at Feliciano. Until it had been a hypothesis uttered by the Spaniard, it had sounded stupid. But if it actually turned out to be true…

"Dude, you serious?!" Alfred and Mathias exclaimed in unison.

Feliciano nodded slowly. "There were Nightmares behind us, and both on the left and on the right, even if far away…so I told you to go straight forward, and we got here…"

"…And then Antonio got here," Ludwig exhaled, glancing towards the Spaniard, who had a guilty look in his emerald eyes.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered, curling a strand of Romano's hair between his fingers.

Gilbert clapped him on the back. Hard. "Toni, don't apologize! It's not your fault, ya know? It's that un-awesome bastard's fault," he said, growling on the last part.

Antonio simply laughed nervously, still fiddling with Romano's hair. An uncomfortable silence fell.

"…Sooo… we go right into the belly of the beast?" Emil asked, unsure.

Francis nodded gravely. "I think it's the best option we have. I personally do not want to know what the Sentient has in store for us at the end of that 'corridor', and I kind of hate the feeling of being steered by somebody, like how he's pulling strings from far away."

"Me neither," Alfred said, serious for once in his life.

Ludwig intertwined his fingers, a thoughtful look on his face.

"…Maybe….Maybe you're right…it seems he dearly wants to do something with us, so this could be the only chance we've got to eliminate him…"

Mathias smiled and stood up, stretching his back and flexing his shoulders.

"It's settled then! We go and kick that _røvhul_'s ass,as soon as we're all recovered!" he yawned, "I dunno about you guys, but I'm tired as hell. I'll see you in the morning!" He walked off to go sleep somewhere.

They all agreed they would tell the others in the morning and then decide what to do from there. After that, they almost all immediately fell asleep.

"Aren't you going to sleep, Feliciano?" Ludwig asked, curious, as he drew the blankets over himself. Gilbert was sleeping beside him, snoring loudly and making smacking sounds with his limbs sprawled everywhere.

Feliciano smiled tiredly as he shook his head and then stood up to go and sit as a guard outside their group circle.

"I…I'm not making the same mistake again. I will stay awake until dawn, and until everybody else is awake…so you will be safe…"

The Italian left, and Ludwig saw him climb clumsily up a boulder and perch himself on top of it, legs crossed.

Ludwig smiled, exhausted, his mind sluggish. Feliciano was so thoughtful and sweet, like a child giving his big brother his favourite stuffed animal so it would protect him.

"_Danke, _Feliciano," he whispered, and with that, the German also fell asleep.

* * *

He faintly heard muttering in the dark. Hushed whispers, not too distant from him. He initially didn't pay any attention to the conversation, it was their business anyway. However, his attention was caught as he heard Feliciano's name.

"…_Oui, _I agree…"

"…But I don't get it…! I like little Feli, hell, I think everybody does…so _why_?"

"…I don't know…so it's not only me, huh? We all feel it."

"…I'm sure that if we asked Lukas he'd say the same…"

"…_Gott, _this is all so confusing and un-awesome. Toni, what did you have to say about that Queen again?"

"…Well, nothing special, really, I already told you why that looked strange to me, there's nothing more…"

"…I don't understand it, but I don't think I like this, guys…"

"…_Ja, _I agree, francypants."  
"…So…?"  
"…So nothing."

"…"

Ludwig frowned. What? Why were Francis, Antonio and Gilbert talking about Feliciano like that…? In his sleep-clogged mind, he managed to remember what Gilbert had said to him some nights earlier, in the Rock…_Gott, _it seemed it already had been years from that moment… What did he say again…? Oh yeah, he got a weird feeling…from being…near…Feliciano…

His mind was too tired to carry on, and he slipped into unconsciousness again unwillingly.

* * *

_…Somewhere else…_

The Sentient was seething, pacing up and down his room. He had received bad news from one of his Nightmares. They had lost, _lost_, the two humans they had to watch. Not the humans of the big group, he knew pretty well where those were. And that was the part of the plan that was going well.

No, he was talking about the other two white pieces on the almost empty chessboard, set far away from all the others.

But those two weren't just any humans.

He shook his head furiously and sat down on his chair, trying to calm down. He had done his _best_ to keep them far away from the Nightmares. Watched, of course, by his own Nightmares, but still, safe.

His human side, deep inside of him, under layers and layers of the Nightmare-induced madness, still cared for them. This illogical _feeling_ he had towards them prevented him from harming them. So, he had protected them. For years. Years!  
But now they were gone! They had killed the Nightmares he had used to watch them, and had disappeared into thin air.

His fists clenched. His control was slipping over things, and he didn't like it. He liked to be in complete control, to be able to see every single thread and string he was pulling. One action from him corresponded to a reaction from the human, so he could manipulate everything, as long as it was in his sight. Kind of like a puppeteer. He smiled to himself. Yes, a puppeteer…

Focus.

Two puppets cut their strings and ran off the stage.

He'd have to find them and tie the knots again. In his hands, they'd be safe from the Nightmares, and, ironically, from himself.

He lightly touched one of the two pieces on the almost empty chessboard, and whispered one single word.

**"Cестры…"**

* * *

Ludwig carefully leaned Feliciano down onto a blanket the next morning. As soon as the Italian had seen them waking up, he had fallen asleep instantly.

_Poor boy_, Ludwig thought as he covered the Italian. He had been through a lot, they all had.

Arthur was awake and fully operational again, meaning he was being harassed by an American and a Frenchman and he was trying to lead another 'meeting', weighing their options.

"If what Feliciano and Antonio say is true," he mumbled, rubbing his chin.

"…We're as good as fucked, bro," Mathias concluded.

"Unless we break this 'corridor' thingy and surprise the motherfucker!" Alfred exclaimed.

"…We'd have to face Nightmares…"

"Dude, we got a tank."

"…Well, that certainly is a plus point."

"You see?! This annoying story will be over in no time!"

"…But we still have wounded," the Brit stated, folding his arms. "There's no doubting that we shouldn't move until most have recovered at least enough to move around." He glanced towards Yao and Romano, who were still sleeping.

"Alright! We'll go fucking kick Nightmare-ass!" Alfred exclaimed, fist-pumping the air.

Ludwig smiled at this.  
Maybe there actually was a light in their world of darkness, now. Finally, something he hadn't felt in years bloomed warmly in his chest as he put a big hand on Feliciano's sleeping head.

Hope.

* * *

**Aaaaaaaand CUT! I know, it's a short chapter! However, I predict action in the next few ones! I still want to end this before chapter 35, so we're slowly spiralling towards the end...!**

**Oh-Em-Gee! 13.500+ views! 266 reviews! 64 faves and follows! I love you all! Hug hug HUG HUUUG! Thank you all!**

**Until next chapter! ;)**

_**[EDIT  
EDIT  
EDIT!: guys, I finally finished school! However, I won't be able to post the chapter on friday as usual, because it is HUGE and I'm still working on it...! Please have patience, it will be on next week...! For you people who are afraid I might drop this, be reassured. I'm having way too much fun to drop this...! In the meantime, i wish everyone a wonderful weekend!]**_

**_¿Qué? :_**_ (spanish) What?_

**_Das verdammt Arschloch…! :_**_ (german) That damn asshole...!_

**_Quoi? :_**_ (french) What?_

**_Sourcils :_**_ (french) Eyebrows_

**_Correcto? :_**_ (spanish) Right?_

**_Røvhul :_**_ (danish) Asshole_

**_Cестры… : _**_(russian) Sisters (pron. 'sestry')_


	32. I am the Queen

**Ciao everybody! IT'S FUCKING FRIDAYYYY! Ah, another LONG chapter! Sorry it took longer than expected... ten days! WTH! **

**But you'll understand, it's over 7000 words...**

**Oh, and I finally got another drawing for you people! It's about the chapter when Romano swaps half of the deck with a shitload of jokers... XD As usual, you can find it on DeviantArt... **

**/art/Nightmare-Apocalypse-Playing-cards-377450974**

**And i totally love you all! It makes me so happy to read all your fantastic reviews! :'D They really all make my day!**

**Ah, and I also found a song that totally fits this fanfic! Well, it mostly fits the REDs and their conditions, so if you want to, please go and look it up! 'Injection', by Rise Against... Youtube link: /watch?v=2pPjG4arm70**

**Anyway, here's the chapter! Oh, and if you're feeling confused at the end of the chapter, rest assured, there will be explanations... (BTW, look at the title. Done? Alright!) Sit back und ENJOY.**

* * *

_..._

_…?…_

_..._

He was happy. Why did he feel so happy? The feeling was somehow nostalgic. He felt…warm, inside…

"_Brother, don't just stand there…! It's snowing, let's go make a snowman!_"

He blinked and he saw his older sister looking at him with sparkling bright eyes. He could see her clearly, but her voice was distant, as if it were echoing through a tunnel. She was young, younger than he remembered her to be. And why was he so small as well…? Was he a child again?

"_But _сестра, _you always make snow-women with big breasts…_" he whined. Even his own voice sounded distant and it was high-pitched, too.

"_Aw, come on…! I promise I won't this time! Please?_"

He nodded, smiling, and took his sister's hand, and together, they were enveloped by the whiteness and the cold of the snowflakes falling outside.

…

"_Big brother! Big brother!_" someone called out. It was his little sister. The three of them were walking through the sunny countryside. It was summer, warm and peaceful.

He smiled, even if he occasionally got the creeps from her. Sometimes she just could be scary.

"_What is it, Natalya?_"

"_I got you sunflowers! See? Your favorites!_" she exclaimed, giving him one of her rare smiles as he gladly accepted the big yellow flowers. Indeed, they were his favorites.

"Cпасибо…" he said, burying his face in the sunflowers.

…

"_Brother! Isn't it wonderful? We'll be working together!_" his big sister beamed. He smiled, looking down at the letter he clutched between his fingers.

"Дa!"

"_I wanna work with big brother too!_" his smaller sister whined, tugging at his sleeve like a five-year old even though she was already of age.

He smiled a more awkward smile now. "_Eheh, but you're too young still. You'll have to wait a couple of years, eh?_" Inwardly, he actually felt relieved he wouldn't have to work with the smaller girl. She still creeped him out sometimes…

…

"_How's the cooling system doing, Katyusha?_" he asked, tapping a pen on his note pad. He was now one of the most important men in the plant, which meant he had much power and influence, but also many responsibilities. For instance, making sure everything was safe and going smoothly.

"_Everything's working well, broth- I mean, boss!_" his older sister said proudly, catching herself just in time. She could be his sister, but while working, he was one of the bosses there.

"_And where did Jones run off to anyway? I told him I needed him here,_" he muttered, disappointed.

She whirled around, those enormous breasts of her almost ripping out the buttons of her work coat. "_He said he would go back home for a week, boss, don't you remember? It's his time off._"

…

Alarms and sirens blared loudly through the whole building. Red lights flashed everywhere as he ran through the dark corridors. Their power had turned off and their whole electronic security system had gone with it, as had the cooling system. And that was where the problem was: the generator was overheating.

"_Attention! Attention! Abandon the building at once! Evacuation active! Preparing to engage operation 6-2-8. Attention, this is not a drill! Abandon the building at once! Attention! Attention…_" a pre-registered voice kept repeating over the ringing sound of the alarms.

People ran past him in the opposite direction, towards the exits, bumping into him. His sister was still inside, trying to solve the problem. It was obviously too late, but she was kind of dense and when it came to the well-being of others, she would try to fix the problem on her own, despite the consequences. It was obviously a sweet feature of her, but foolish in situations like this.

"_Attention! Attention! Abandon the building at once…_"

He slammed the metal door open. _"Katyusha!_"  
As he had predicted, she was desperately pulling levers and pressing buttons, trying to mend the irreparable mess.

She yelped as he yanked her away from the controls. "_Kat, we have to get out of here!_"

"_But I can still stop this!_"

"Hет! _There's no time!_"

She struggled in his grasp as he dragged her out of the room.

"_Attention! Attention! Engaging operation 6-2-8! Evacuate immediately! Attention…_"

A metal wall came out of the ceiling and sealed shut the area behind them.

"_Run, Kat!_" he cried, releasing her so they could both be faster. She finally understood that there was nothing she could do and started running beside him. They ran as fast as they could through the many hallways, skidding at each turn and hearing the lead seals shut behind them. Finally, after the umpteenth turn, he saw the emergency exit. He sprinted, and at last he was outside, together with other people in white coats who were still panting.

"_Ah!_" He heard someone fall behind him. He whirled around and saw his sister had tripped and fallen, still in the corridor. He noticed another lead wall close at the end of the hallway, far behind her, and the emergency exit started shutting down as well, if even more slowly.

He swore and ran back to help her. She had sprained her ankle and couldn't run anymore.

"_Brother, get out of here! Please save yourself,_" she said as he helped her up.

"Hет! _We'll get outside, together!_" he said determined, but saw the emergency exit was already half-closed. The people outside were shouting at them to hurry up. He grimaced. They wouldn't both make it in time…

He pushed her with all the strength he could muster through the exit.

"_NO!_" She cried out, reaching for him as the metal door shut itself between them.

He remained inside and felt glad he had saved her. He smiled tiredly, closing his eyes and collapsing against the door. The next moment he felt himself burn. He screamed at the top of his lungs as he felt his body, no, his very_being_ and _soul_ burn, and then… everything went black.

…

He was alive. In a hospital, in quarantine, hurt, bandaged from head to toe, but _alive_.

Medics came to visit and treat him with special suits that made them look like some kind of astronauts. He felt pain, yes, but mostly because of his burns. Luckily, those were healing.

After two weeks he finally got to see his sisters. Behind a wall of glass, sure, but he saw them. He was so relieved they were well. He heard from them that he wasn't the only one in quarantine. That accident had scared many people throughout the world, and many countries sent their help to contain the radioactive contamination, but no radiation had been found, so they calmed down.

As the days passed, he began to feel better, albeit only physically. Because something else also started happening.

One morning he woke up with his hands completely covered in black, as if he had put them in a bucket of ink. Thick black liquid dripped from his fingers, and his blankets were completely smeared with it. The strange thing was, he obviously couldn't have dirtied them with anything; his quarantine space was spotless and disinfected.

He washed and scrubbed anxiously at his hands until they _hurt_, but the ink just didn't go away. After an hour or so, the medics noticed something was wrong and tied him down to the bed, shaking their heads and looking confused.

After that episode, he tried to hide that fact because, for some reason, no one else could see the black ink staining his hands.

…

"_Big brother!_" His smaller sister hugged him tightly as soon as he walked out of the metal and glass doors. His quarantine was over, everything seemed normal again. Apparently there had been no radioactive contamination, so everyone calmed down.

He staggered on his feet. His sister wasn't that small anymore. Sure, he was big, bigger than most people, but still, the quarantine had not exactly been what he could call a holiday. He smiled awkwardly and wanted to pat her on her light blonde head. However, he feared he would stain her with his black hands. Even if no one could see it, he still left black smears on everything he touched…

He restrained himself from touching her or his older sister who hugged them both two milliseconds later.

"_Oh, brother! I was so worried!_" She started crying and almost smothered him with her over-developed bosom, but he didn't blame her. Of course she would be worried. They probably had thought he was going to die because of radiation exposure.

"_I'm okay, don't worry…_"

They all headed home, and he noticed his big sister had a black smudge on her cheek. He nervously stuffed his hands in his pockets.

…

"_Brother, I'm worried…_" his big sister sighed, putting the groceries on the table.

"_Huh? How so, Kat?_" he asked, looking up from the book he was reading.

"_The news says animals started behaving strangely around the plant…They are getting too aggressive. I think something is wrong…_"

He shrugged. "_It's probably nothing, Kat. They shut it down, and they didn't find any radiation, right? There's no need to worry._"

He ignored his sister's worried glance at his perpetually gloved hands.

…

Everyone was freaking out because the animals had started _mutating_ and attacking people. Something had gone very, very wrong.

His headaches had gotten worse day by day. The gloves weren't enough anymore, he was tainted all the way up to his elbows, and he also left black ink footprints wherever he went. Had the animals really been contaminated by that accident? So...could it have gotten him, as well? He had been _inside_ the plant…

He felt as if he were going insane, but he never admitted it, not even to his sisters, who had noticed that he refrained as much as he could from touching anything.

Everything he touched would get tainted. He saw black ink everywhere, and it made him _sick_. On his pillow, on his sheets, on his clothes, on the taps at home, on his books, on his chess game, on the chairs, on the door handles, on his favourite scarf, on his own face…

He sat down on a chair, alone, and gripped his head tightly, even if he knew he would stain it black. He stared at the rays of sunlight that fell inside through the curtains. Was he really going insane…?

…

The monster broke through the wooden door of their house. It looked hideous, to say the least, and the moonlight only added to the frightening look. Pitch-black, insect like and with bright glowing green eyes.

"_Natalya!_" he yelled, shoving his little sister out of the way of the monster's jaws just in time.

The jaws snapped shut on thin air, but then it lost interest in the two of them, even if they were vulnerable. It locked its gaze onto his big sister, standing not so far away. She was so terrified she couldn't move, and tears of fear hung at the rims of her eyes.

He reached out a hand to her, as if he could save her with that single gesture. One single tear rolled down his cheek, as he saw her moments from being torn to shreds by the monster. He'd do anything, _anything_ to save her…

**"...****_NO! STOP!_****"**

* * *

…**"...****_NO! STOP!" _**the Sentient cried out. He blinked, and noticed his right arm and hand were stretched out, reaching for-…

He shook his head and composed himself, straightening his spine on the back of the chair. What a peculiar dream. It had a nostalgic feeling…

He shook his head again. He didn't have time for this…feeling. He had to focus on his plan.

He smiled, completely forgetting about the dream, intertwining his fingers and glancing at the chessboards. The white pieces were positioned in some sort of corridor created by the black pieces, which had only one way out. Soon, everything would be done.

* * *

_…Somewhere else…_

The Rock gang recombined itself together. Ludwig took care of Feliciano, who was still deep asleep, and the others also took care again of their wounded. Others who weren't doing anything cleared the jeep and the tank from any rubble (the jeep had miraculously not been crushed by the chunks of the ceiling, while the tank hadn't budged at all at the boulders). Also, they started clearing and widening the passage towards the outside.

Ludwig could tell from the silence that everyone was tense. Even Gilbert, Mathias and Alfred were silent and not rampaging around trying to piss someone off for fun.

The day crept by slowly, as they got ready for their leave. After they had gotten rid of most of the boulders so the tank could easily fit through the passage, they re-patched everyone up as best as they could, counted their ammunitions and their food and water reserves. Then, in the evening, they started distracting themselves with a card game, but it was played silently and gloomily.

Feliciano slept through almost the whole day, and woke up just after the sun set and after they had started 'playing' cards.

"Ve, why do you all look so tired?" He asked, glancing around. All of them facepalmed loudly at the denseness of the Italian.

So they spent the evening playing cards, and somehow, luckily, Feliciano managed to cheat and mess the game up. That made them start bickering, and soon everything was back to normal: Arthur was being pissed off by Francis and Alfred, Berwald and Lukas wanted to strangle Mathias, Tino and Emil were trying to restrain them, Romano was cursing and swearing at Antonio, Bella, Ludwig and Feliciano, Yao was trying to impress Kiku but horribly failing, Gilbert was trying to teach Matthew to speak 'more awesomely-louder'… ergo, it had become a hopeless chaos.

And it was wonderfully stupid. Feliciano smiled to himself, and Ludwig facepalmed, knowing all the mess had originated from him. Antonio, Gilbert and Francis really were best buddies now, and after a while they started targeting 'certain' people for pranks. Ergo, one of the trio chose a victim and the other two would follow suit. Of course, Francis targeted Arthur, Antonio Romano and Gilbert Ludwig and Matthew.

"Feliciano, you are such a _dummkopf_." He groaned after trying to ignore his idiotic brother.

However, the German then smiled. The Italian had done a wonderful job, distracting hem from their almost suicidal mission.

"Ve…why, Ludd?" Feliciano smiled cluelessly, flipping another card into the deck so it would be messed up again.

Ludwig sighed smiling. Geez, the boy was incorrigible. "…Nothing."

* * *

The next morning, they were all hyperactive, readying themselves to depart. And loud again, as well. And that was a good thing, because again, it meant that the gloom had disappeared and that there would be…chaos.

"YEEEOW! Dude, you just totally stepped on my foot there!" of course, that was Alfred.

"Whoops, sorry _amigo_." The cheerful Spaniard smiled apologetically.

"You damn bastard, get out of my fucking way!" Antonio was shoved aside by an obviously a bad-tempered Italian.

"_Sourcils_, I have to admit, your face is even worse than it usually is…" Francis commented smugly.

"Shut up, frog!" the Brit growled, trying to ignore the Frenchman.

"Berwald, put me down! I have a broken _arm_, not a leg!" Tino cried out, wiggling in the Swede's arms.

"Hn. D'n't care." Berwald grumbled smirking, tightening the grip.

"Oh good idea, Sve! Hey Norge, can I pick you up like that too?" Mathias pulled Lukas' sleeve excitedly like a five-years old.  
"_No_." The Norwegian replied, elbowing the Dane violently in the face.

"Stay away from my big brother, you creep!" Emil shouted at Mathias, alarmed.

"Kiku, why don't you also call me 'big brother', aru? You only did it once since we were reunited!" was Yao's not so veiled hint while the Japanese sustained him while walking.

"…No." Kiku replied pokerfaced, at which the Chinese clutched his heart dramatically as if he had been stabbed.

"…Ow…" Matthew exclaimed/whispered, being pushed by somebody.

"Oh, I'm sorry Alf-…I mean Mattie!" Bella cried out at the Canadian, smiling.

"Lutz! Lutz! Can I drive the tank? Please? Please?!" Gilbert shouted waving his arms and with sparkling eyes.

"_Nein. _Only Emil can do that. You can drive the jeep if you want to, however…" Ludwig sighed. He'd have to look after the sleeping Feliciano. The Italian had yet again stayed up through the night to be alert for the Nightmares, and had fallen asleep at dawn. However, he didn't look as tired as the night before… that was a good sign, at least.

Finally, at last, they were all set in their vehicles. The most serious wounded, like Yao or Romano, were positioned in the tank for shelter.

Gilbert was at the wheel of the jeep, substituting Ludwig who was looking over the slumbering Feliciano.

The tank and the car came both to life with a low roar, and they both started moving towards the entrance of the factory.

The sun had just come up, and bathed everything in a soft orange light. Gilbert covered his eyes, staring at the horizon.

"Shit. So we're really doing this?"

The others in the car nodded slowly. Ludwig imagined something similar had happened in the tank as well. However, probably, the tank was more spacious. The car was overloaded, seriously. Gilbert was driving, Antonio was sitting beside him, Feliciano, Ludwig, Kiku and Bella shared the back seats while Francis and Alfred sat in the open trunk space.  
"Oh well. Toni, where to?" The albino asked, turning to face the passenger seat beside him.

Antonio swallowed drily, and pointed towards their left.

"There…"

"_Gut! _Let's go, guys!" Gilbert exclaimed, and stepped down hard on the accelerator. The motor roared, and they all shot back in their seats. Everyone shouted in surprise, while the albino started cackling like a maniac, following the direction Antonio had pointed at. Soon the tank also started moving, following the jeep towards the Sentient's lair.

They rode for one hour without anything strange happening, until…

"VE!" Feliciano jumped awake in his seat, startling everyone, especially Ludwig who was sitting beside him.

"Whoa!" Gilbert exclaimed, the jeep swerving a little. "What the hell, Feli! You scared the awesome me!"

Feliciano looked worried and alert. "Th-there are Nightmares, right up ahead of us…!" He yelped. He felt it, the whole wall of the supposed 'corridor', they weren't that far away from the monsters anymore… he was kind of scared of it. What if it all went wrong? What if-

"_Gut!_" Gilbert grinned interrupting his thoughts and accelerating. _Māomī _could still keep up the pace with them, luckily.

Feliciano glanced around at the scenery. The rocky and bare ground had been replaced with short, yellowy grass, with some rocks dotting it here and there. The Italian saw something dark under the rocks right in front of them. He immediately realized those were the Nightmares he was feeling, and they were hiding as best as they could from the sun which was slowly rising towards the zenith.

"They are under the rocks!" He exclaimed, pointing at them.

"What? What is the point in making a trapping corridor if you don't even line the Nightmares up? Seriously." Alfred shook his head, sounding almost disappointed. "I had imagined something kind of like a bowling game! You know, we are the ball, the Nightmares the pins and…bang bang crash!"

"They probably don't expect us to come and charge right into them. The Sentient predicted we would stay far away from the Nightmares, not _break through_ them. And by the way, the sunlight is working in our advantage. Otherwise I think they would be lined up…" Ludwig said.

The German tensed up as he said those words. He dearly hoped he was right and nothing would go wrong…

They quickly got nearer and nearer to the 'belt' of Nightmares.

Closer.

Closer…

_Closer…!_

Gilbert swiftly changed gears, and sped up even more. Feliciano shut his eyes close tightly, bracing himself for the worst…

And then, they had passed them. As if the Nightmares hadn't even been there. Right through the holes of a net.

"WOHOOO!" Gilbert and Alfred yelled in unison, throwing their hands in the air. However, seeing as Gilbert was driving, the jeep swerved and the albino quickly gripped the wheel again.  
Feliciano exhaled, only now noticing he had been holding his breath. Then he cheered too with the others in the car, throwing his hands in the air and laughing. "Yaaaaaaaa-hahahaha-ay!"

They heard the metallic echoes of cheers behind them also, as the people inside _Māomī _cheered. Mathias popped up from the lid on top of the tank, and flipped the bird at the Nightmares behind them, still laughing. "So long, freaks!" He cried out. Someone then hastily pulled him back inside, closing the lid.

Feliciano thought that had been an unnecessary precaution. The Nightmares glared at them from under the rocks, but looked confused and hesitant. The sun had neared its zenith already and they didn't want to get out under the vertical and hot rays of it. He smiled broadly. They had made it!  
"Ve! Ludd! We made it!" He beamed at the German. He was obviously relieved too, but didn't show it with such passion or excitement as the others did.

"_Ja_, Feliciano. We made it." He smiled, his tense shoulders relaxing against the seat.

"Now let's kick that motherfucker's ass before he can organize some other un-awesome shit!" Gilbert cackled, trying to go faster even if the motor was already at its limits. "Toni, we're still good, right?"

The Spaniard nodded, also smiling. "_¡Sí!_"

"Awesome!"

They continued riding towards the Sentient's lair. As they rode, the scenery slowly started changing. The short yellow grass became somewhat taller and greener, until it had gotten emerald green. The rocks weren't brown or orange anymore, but got a more grey-like colour, until far away, they saw the faint outlines of a city.

"Is that what I think it is…?" Ludwig asked glancing at the Spaniard. Antonio slowly nodded. "Yeah."

"Is it a city?" Alfred asked.  
"…No, it's smaller, but still, not as small as a town…" Antonio frowned.

"Ve…" Feliciano blinked. He could feel the Sentient Nightmare being right there…he knew it was no ordinary Nightmare or a RED. The feeling he got from the Sentient was…different, somehow. If the Nightmares and REDs were like burning fires in the pit of his stomach, even if they burned with different intensity, they were still _fire_. The Sentient's presence felt more like slowly moving, sizzling-hot lava. "…Wouldn't it be better if we let the tank advance first…?"

Everyone in the car turned to look at him(even Gilbert, which resulted in the car swerving again and an angry scold from Ludwig).  
"Whoa, Feli dude that's a good idea!" Alfred exclaimed, holding a hand up for a high-five.

As suggested by the Italian, they agreed to make _Māomī _advance first. They stopped for a couple of minutes so that Antonio could get inside the tank and show the way to Emil, and then they were riding again. In no time they were riding through the small city. They dramatically dropped the volume of their voices, because of the possibility that the Sentient might hear them. Even though the tank's caterpillars made much more noise, they didn't want to be any more detectable.

Feliciano glanced around, observing the city. It looked more like it had been _abandoned_ instead of destroyed, unlike the other cities he had seen before. It was so…empty. There even wasn't any Nightmare around…! Actually, now that he thought about it, he didn't even remember how a proper city looked like…with all the buildings upright, the windows whole, the lampposts straight, and living _people_ walking through it and not monsters…he could only imagine it. And it seemed so surreal to him…!

"Dudes, I'm getting the creeps from this place…you think it's haunted?" Alfred asked whispering while nervously looking around. He had the feeling the buildings' gaping windowsills vaguely resembled empty eyes, staring at them all.

"There's a Sentient in here and you are worrying about ghosts? Seriously?" Ludwig cocked an eyebrow. The American rubbed the back of his neck, grinning uncomfortably.

The tank's caterpillars still made clinking sounds that echoed through the concrete, though. That wasn't really all that stealthy. They had to hurry up. The huge vehicle took a few turns, until the were in one of the main streets. Said street was long and wide, and at the end of it stood a big building that looked like an old city hall. It was wide, and in the middle there had been constructed a short tower with a dome. _Māomī _seemed to head exactly in that direction.

"Is it in the city hall…?" Gilbert wondered, riding behind the tank. He frowned, trying to remember, albeit in vain. Francis was also trying to remember anything, but also unsuccessfully.

"Y-yes…I feel him…" Feliciano stammered, nervously fiddling with his hands. He did feel it, the Sentient was there. The scorching-hot lava in his gut told him so.

Ludwig noticed _Māomī _was speeding up. "_Bruder…_" he murmured.

"_Ja, ja_ Lutz. I noticed." Gilbert rolled his eyes, but then gasped. "Wait, Emil is thinking of…?!"

The other passengers in the jeep all turned to look at the albino.

"Thinking of what?" Bella asked.

Gilbert bared his teeth. "…Of breaking through the wall."

"What?! Is he insane?!" Ludwig exclaimed, worried.

"That's what I would do." Gilbert shrugged, earning a glare from his brother.

"Well, if you think about it, what else should he do? Knock at the door? 'Knock knock, hello there Sentient Nightmare sir. We'd like to eliminate you now, could you please open up? We brought tea and cookies!' Like hell, dude." Alfred said, badly mimicking a British accent.

"But still, charging head on-" Ludwig started arguing, but was interrupted by one of the tank's cannons shooting.

Feliciano covered his ears wincing. "Wha…?"

"You see? At least Emil has more brains than you, Gil." Ludwig smugly stated. The Icelander had ordered to shoot through the wall of the building, before charging. Then, another shot, so the hole would be widened. The tank however lost speed because of the shots' recoils.

"Guys, get the guns ready. Or whatever weapon we have left." Gilbert growled.

"What…?"

The albino swiftly changed gears and…and surpassed the tank, heading at full speed towards the still fuming hole in the wall of the building.

"Are you completely _insane?!_" Alfred yelled. The tank was supposed to be their cover!

Ludwig realized too late that his brother was still thinking of making the Sentient pay. That idea of revenge had blinded him and his reason. He tried to reach forward to get to the wheel, to stop anything his brother was trying to do. "_Bruder, _don't…!"

But it was too late.

The rotations of the jeep's motor wound up as the wheels disconnected with the ground. The car remained in the air for a couple of seconds, and then landed roughly and swerving in the ample entrance hall of the building. There was a long staircase with wide steps at the end of the hall, and Gilbert took it.

With each step, resulting into a bump of the car, Feliciano felt his teeth clatter. "Ve-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e!" he also felt they were getting nearer to the Sentient. In fact, he was somewhere at the end of that staircase…! "Ve-e-e-e-e-e-EH!" the last step of the staircase somehow got a rougher bump than the others prior to it. They were now in a long hallway, with at the end of it, a broad wooden door. Feliciano didn't like this _at all_.

"Gilbert! Stop the car _now_!" Ludwig barked, struggling with his brother for the control of the wheel. The albino defended himself with an elbow. "Ow!" the blonde had been hit on the nose.

"Dudes, stop fighting like that coz otherwise it'll get-!" Alfred started, but it was too late. Ludwig snarled and managed to grip the wheel with one hand and pull it to the right roughly. The car swerved abruptly, and started skidding sideways, tires screeching on the marble floor of the old city hall.

"WhoaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAH!" They all screamed in unison as they neared the door at alarmingly fast speed. Finally, they crashed into it, or rather _through_ it. Wooden splinters flew everywhere as they burst through the thick wooden doors with the car.

The crash had two positive effects, though. Firstly, it functioned as a break for them so they came finally to a halt after skidding some meters still. Secondly, one of the greatest splinters, roughly the size of a person, flew through the room. It hit three chess boards on small tables and a big, comfy-looking chair. Numerous chess pieces flew through the air at the impact, and the chair got hit and toppled over. The thing was, there was someone sitting in it. Someone clad completely in black. Feliciano froze, a chill running down his spine, something that contrasted heavily with the burning lava he had in his gut.

"Holy shit…" Alfred whispered, breathless. The car's occupants, Gilbert, Ludwig, Feliciano, Alfred, Bella, Kiku and Francis remained motionless, frozen in anticipation and fear. Nobody dared to move a single muscle. Gilbert blinked and inhaled sharply, realizing only now what he had done. "Oh, _sheiße_…"

The dust and the sawdust slowly fell around them in small flakes, as the silence grew heavier and heavier.

Feliciano didn't even dare to bat his eyelashes, in fear that something would happen in that millisecond that his eyes would be closed. Then, he heard something.

A laugh.

A thick, deep, amused and distorted laugh, even though it seemed controlled. As if he was trying to restrain himself.

**"Hmfahahaha…!"**

A dark figure slowly rose from behind the chair, and then turned around to face them. In that second, everyone pointed the weapons they had to the Sentient Nightmare. Gilbert took out his guns, as did Ludwig and Kiku. Alfred and Bella pointed their rifles, while Francis and Feliciano who didn't have any firearm clutched their sword and staff respectively.

The Sentient straightened his spine, putting his balled fists on his back so he could stretch it better. Feliciano noticed that he had a worn out old scarf draped around his neck and shoulders. It was filthy, in some places grimy and the ends were frayed.

**"My, my, it seems we have some undesired guests." **He said, a faint tone of amusement in his voice. **"…The pieces cheated…" **he purred, standing normal again. He glanced at his feet, at the fallen chess pieces and boards, and then started walking around the fallen chair.

Alfred growled. "Shut up, freak!" And he fired one shot with his rifle. He hit the Nightmare's arm, but the bulled simply bounced off of the pitch-black armour with a loud metallic sound.

**"Hm? What's this? You come at my home uninvited, break down my door, ruin my chess games ****_and _****shoot at me? Now that's just ****_rude_****." **The Sentient said shaking his head, disappointed.

Feliciano felt the lava in his gut churn, and each word the Sentient said made his bones tremble. He gripped his staff tightly to reassure himself. Needless to say, he was pretty much terrified of the Sentient. He remembered how Romano had described him months before, in his story about how he himself had 'died'… _Focus, Feliciano. If you take him down, and you cure him, you'll be free. You won't have to worry anymore. You won't have to _fight_ anymore…_ he repeated in his mind.  
He glanced behind him as he heard the familiar metallic clinks echo in the marble corridor. _Māomī _was finally catching up to them, but the Italian knew the tank was still on the staircase…too far away…

"FIRE!" Ludwig barked, scaring him out of his thoughts. Every person who had a firearm started shooting their rounds at the Nightmares, who simply stood there. The Sentient obviously staggered at each bullet that hit him, and even stepped back a few times. However, not a single one of the bullets pierced through the black armour, which seemed harder than steel.

Shots echoed through the chamber, and bullet shells tinkled on the marble floor, until all Feliciano heard were empty repeated _clicks_. Oh God…the Italian shivered. They were out of bullets…!

The Sentient didn't even have a scratch, as far as Feliciano could see from his black hunched figure.

The Nightmare's head slowly moved up, violet eyes glowing behind the narrow splits of his plain black mask.

**"I gave you your chance. Now it's my turn, дa****_?_****"**

Feliciano felt a shiver run down his spine as he had the distinct feeling the Sentient was smiling _right at him_.

The pavement around the Sentient's feet suddenly cracked, and the cracks spread out in their direction, disappearing under the jeep. The car shuddered as it sunk some centimetres into the ground.

"Get out! Get out _now_!" Ludwig barked.

**"I'm afraid I won't let you."** The Nightmare said mockingly, as if he was talking to a bunch of naughty children. Actually, Feliciano thought, the Sentient himself was kind of acting like a child…a cruel one, for that matter. The kind of child that rips wings off of flies just for fun.

"What the fu-" Alfred managed to exclaim, before the car was lifted into the air (by what, Feliciano didn't know) and then toppled to the side, so they all smacked onto the cracked ground. And then Feliciano saw what had lifted them up.

They looked like tiny, zigzagging black tree branches, and they sprouted like some weird plants from the cracks in the pavement. That, or they vaguely resembled thunderbolts. And, following the cracks…they originated from the Sentient himself. Feliciano noticed he wasn't the only one staring at that strange apparition, the others had noticed it as well.

"R-RUN!" Alfred shouted, scrambling up as quickly as he could, soon followed by the others and running towards the door.

**"Where to, I wonder?" **The Sentient had straightened up his chair again and had sat down on it. **"Surely not towards the exit? That is so obvious." **Those tendrils of darkness – Feliciano had no idea of how to describe them otherwise - shot out in front of them, blocking the way out, however leaving some open spaces so he could see through. He heard some yelps and some thuds behind himself, but he didn't pay any notice to them. More importantly, he saw the tank, finally leaving the stairs behind itself.

"Emil!" He shouted through the black binds blocking the passage, not even knowing why. Could the tank possibly help them…? He dearly hoped so.

The tank fired at the black wall, but the tendrils did not budge. Feliciano coughed at the smoke originated from the shot, and then gulped. If not even a cannon shout could pierce trough them, then what could…?

The Sentient cocked his head to one side. **"Oh. I almost forgot about them…!" **More tendrils shot out past the Italian and enveloped the tank completely.

"…No!" Ludwig cried out, struggling beside him in his black binds.

Huh? Feliciano turned around, and only now noticed that everyone else was trapped and struggling, tied tightly in black coils and suspended one meter or two into the air. Feliciano looked around and at his feet. Nothing, he was completely free. Huh…?  
Metallic creaks interrupted his thoughts. The tendrils were slowly crushing the tank, bending and scrapping the metal. Scared screams and yelps started to echo from inside.

The others started struggling desperately to get free, somehow. "Stop! Bastard! You'll kill them like that!" Gilbert snarled.

The Sentient 'smiled' creepily again. **"You're my enemies. Why shouldn't I do that…?" **he said, waving one finger as if directing an orchestra, while he listened to the screams coming from inside _Māomī_.

The albino swallowed, petrified under that violet gaze. Then, the Nightmare sighed, and the tendrils stopped tightening the tank. They suspended the vehicle in the air, turning it upside down, and then they opened the lid. They shook the tank up and down, and the humans fell out, one by one, like come kind of candy coming out of a package. Then, the black zigzagging coils picked them up, and brought them into the room.

"Hng! Let, me, go!" Arthur struggled, kicking the air. The others were all shouting incoherent sentences as well, while trying to wiggle free of their black bindings. Only Feliciano was still free to move as he pleased. But why…? The Sentient was staring right at him, he couldn't _not_ have noticed him…not that he especially wanted to be noticed right now.

Feliciano shivered, slowly stepping back until he hit a wall with his back. He stared at the scene in front of him. Fifteen people were being held up in the air by those zigzagging thin tendrils… struggling desperately to get free, kicking the air and such. The Sentient was sitting in his chair, looking fairly amused and staring right at him. His violet gaze was boring holes into his soul, Feliciano could almost feel it. And he didn't like it. At all.

"H-hey, let th-them go!" He stammered, trying to sound brave. However, he was trembling from head to toe. What could he possibly do to help his friends…!? He was completely useless…!

The humans struggling were all shouting in their native languages, insulting or muttering or exclaiming still. That seemed to tick the Nightmare off.

**"_Silence!_****" **he yelled, crashing them against the walls or the floor. Immediately, gasps and groans at the impact, but then they all shut up.

**"Ah, that's much better, дa? Don't you agree, Feliciano?" **The Sentient asked, smiling again. It was kind of terrifying how fast his emotions could switch. He slowly stood up and looked at him again.

"Huh…? N-no! L-let them go!" Feliciano didn't know what to say. He felt cornered. Their original plan had horribly failed, and all of his friends were trapped. And what did he want from him?!

The Nightmare shook his head, disappointed. **"Ah, that's right. Such a shame…"**

Feliciano was getting more and more confused by the minute. What was going on?!

**"Ah, I see many familiar faces. For example…hello there, Gilbert. Francis. Lukas. Oh, and Antonio!" **he smiled and waved at each person he mentioned, almost _giggling_. **"It's good to see you all again…! Oh, and some other known faces. I know ****_you_****, for instance! Привет, Romano." **He waved at Romano, who was still muttering profanities and swearing, however with a terrified look on his face. **"And I know you all as well! Mathias, Berwald, Tino… But there are many new people! Let's see, what are your names…ah. Hello Kiku, Yao, Arthur, Alfred, Matthew, Emil, Bella and Ludwig. And of course, little Feli here."**

Everyone felt a shiver run down their spine as their names were mentioned. How could he even know them?!

The Sentient started walking slowly towards the smaller Italian, hands crossed behind his back. With each step, the pavement at his feet would crack, almost as if he weighed more than it looked like. Ludwig, who was one of the lucky ones that hit the ground and so wasn't suspended in the air anymore, tried to scramble up on his knees and block his path. "Stop! Don't make any step closer!" He barked, trying to stand up, but in vain. His arms were tied behind his back tightly by the black tendrils, and they didn't really help with his balance. The Sentient stopped to briefly glance at the blonde trying desperately to block him.

**"…Or what?" **he whispered, genuinely curious, his voice like a child's. Ludwig's eyes widened, before the tendrils brought him up in the air again and made him crash into the wall. The German groaned, as he felt blood drip down his brow. No…! He saw, down below, the Nightmare approaching Feliciano slowly, and the Italian was trapped.

"Stop!" he yelled, desperate. Whatever the Sentient had in mind, it couldn't be good…!

Feliciano started hyperventilating. The more the Nightmare came closer, the more the lava he had in his stomach would burn. It hurt him so much he couldn't even think straight anymore. The only thing he saw were those violet eyes, cast like shiny amethysts in a black silhouette, slowly approaching him…

Then the silhouette stopped walking. He blinked, and could see clearly again. Why did he stop…?

**"You did a good job, Feliciano…" **the Sentient 'smiled' again, cocking his head to one side.

"What…?" He managed to say.

The other trapped ones resumed talking, confused.

"The fuck are you talking about?!"  
"Lemme go!"

"Feliciano, run!"

"Stop saying bullshit!"  
"Feliciano!"

"What?!"

"Shut up!"

"What is-"

They were all interrupted by the black bindings making them crash against the walls or floor yet again.

**"Naughty, naughty children. I told you to be quiet, didn't I? You'll never be as good as little Feli." **The Sentient purred.

Feliciano shivered, scared out of his wits. The Sentient turned to look at him again. Feliciano swallowed drily, trying to get as far away from the Nightmare as possible, which meant plastering himself against the wall as much as he could. The Sentient bent down, startling Feliciano as he picked up an unidentified object from the ground.

**"You did a wonderful job. After all, Feliciano, you're my…" **

The Sentient paused for a couple of dreadful seconds. He held up the object in his black clawed hands, so everyone could see. The Nightmare 'smiled' creepily again, as he bowed to offer the object to him.

**"…my most ****_faithful_**** RED."**

It was a chess piece.

A Queen.

And under a thin layer of chalk, her true colour could be seen.

…

It was pitch black.

* * *

**...Well, fuck.**

_**Cестра : **__(russian) Sister (pron. 'Sestra')_

_**Cпасибо : **__(russian) Thanks (pron. 'Spaseeba')_

**_Дa : _**_(russian) Yes_

**_Hет : _**_(russian) No_

_**Dummkopf :**__ (german) silly/idiot_

**_Gut : _**_(german) Good_

**_Sheiße : _**_(german) Shit_

_**Привет : **__(russian) Hello (pron. 'Privyet')_


	33. Finally, the Truth

**...Ciao everybody...!**

**...Sit back und ENJOY...**

* * *

The Sentient's word ringed through his head.

Feliciano couldn't believe it.

He didn't _want_ to believe it.

He stared at the black piece in the Sentient's hand with horror. He tried to get as far away from it, as if it were infected. "What…n-no…"

Everyone else in the room was also astounded, and couldn't even say one single word. Silence reigned supreme.

-Until the Sentient chuckled, straightening up again and twirling the Queen with his fingers. **"Oh, Feliciano. Do I really have to repeat myself? I said that you are my most faithful RED. The plan we designed together is almost complete, even if you ****_did_**** show up at my doorstep uninvited. That certainly ****_was_**** a surprise, you know."**

Feliciano was trembling, and he slowly fell on his knees, staring at the black Queen. "W-what…? No…it's not true…"

**"You never were a mistake, Feliciano. This has always been planned. By the two of us."**  
The magic-like silence shattered.

"_Bullshit!_" Romano shouted.

"Lies!" Arthur exclaimed.

"You're lying! Don't listen to him, Feli!" Ludwig yelled, struggling in his binds again.

Everyone started shouting again, mostly at the Nightmare but also at Feliciano, to stay strong and not to listen. The Sentient flicked one finger, bored, and the black tendrils smacked them all against the ground. He calmly walked towards Ludwig, who was squirming the hardest to free himself.

**"Looks like you care a lot about little Feli. And you are quite the fighter…hm?" **The Sentient purred, placing his heel on the German's cheek.

Ludwig growled. "Shut up. Liar."

The Nightmare laughed hard. **"Hahahaha! Me, liar! Hahaha, oh, Ludwig, you are so ****_blind_****. You are ****_all_**** so blind…! Before calling me a liar, you should try and open your eyes. Ludwig, you had a liar by your side this whole time, and you ****_never even noticed_****." **He finished the sentence hissing.

"Shut up!" the German snarled, the Sentient's heel still on his jaw.

"I-it's not true, Ludwig…I'm not a RED…! I'm not a liar…!" Feliciano muttered, first unsure and with his voice shaking. Then, he repeated, afraid he hadn't heard him. "I'm not a liar!"

The Sentient looked up from the German. **"Are you really that sure, Feliciano?"**

Feliciano gulped. "O-of course! I'm not a liar!" He repeated, trying to encourage himself. He slowly got onto his feet, shaking.

**"How can you be so sure…? Do you believe him, Ludwig?"** the Sentient purred at the German under his foot.

"As if I'd believe you over Feliciano." He spat. "Of course I believe him!"

"Exactly! Shut up, you fucking freak!" Romano butted in, defending his brother.

The Sentient shook his head clicking his tongue, disappointed. **"Uh-uh-uh. So much faith… You should know better, dear Ludwig. You doubted him, when you first met him, right? An instinct, perhaps, warned you. You ****_knew_**** something was wrong."**

Ludwig stiffened. "How do you even-"

**"****_Answer me._****" **The Nightmare hissed, pressing down his foot and earning a groan of pain. The Sentient seemed to enjoy causing pain, both physical and psychological.

"Stop that!" Kiku shouted. Feliciano blinked, turning to look at the Japanese, as did the Sentient, cocking his head to one side.

**"Ah, Kiku. Poor Kiku. You thought you could see the all truth and lies behind the others' eyes. Sadly enough, you failed…while he, this guy here, was right. But nobody believed him. And in the end, he was also fooled! Like all the others!" **He looked down at the German and pressed down even more on his jaw. Ludwig let out a short groan, before clenching his teeth. He would not give the monster any satisfaction of screaming.

**"Ah yes. Indeed you are a fighter." **The Nightmare mocked, lifting his foot. Then he kicked Ludwig's face with it, earning a yelp.

"You monster!" Feliciano cried out, finally snapping out of it. He ran towards the Nightmare, not having the slightest idea of what he should do. The Sentient 'smiled' again, and sidestepped, finally leaving the German's face alone. Feliciano panted. He was feeling drowsy and light-headed, the lava in his stomach kept burning… He fell down on his knees, putting gingerly a hand on Ludwig's jaw. It was bruised, and was already turning purple.

"L-Ludwig…!" He stammered, as he felt tears swell up in his eyes. He felt so guilty…But why?! He hadn't done anything wrong…! He was pretty sure he wasn't a liar. He would never do that. Never.

Ludwig swallowed drily, and then weakly smiled. "Don't worry Feliciano. I believe you."

**"Ludwig, how can you even believe him? He has lost all his memory, hasn't he…?" **The Sentient mocked, walking around the bodies that littered the ground.

"S-stop…" Feliciano whispered. One tear rolled down his cheek.

**"Indeed, he has! So even if he doesn't remember it, he is a RED…!"**

"Stop it…" The Italian's knuckles turned white.

**"He has been working with me and ****_for _****me, this whole time…"**

"STOP IT!" Feliciano shouted, standing up. Furious tears were rolling down his cheek, and his hands, balled up into fists, were at his sides, trembling. "It's not true! I would never, ever work for the likes of you…! I would never lie to my friends!"

The Sentient fell silent for a couple of seconds, then he resumed walking around. As if he were taking an afternoon stroll, and he totally changed the subject.

**"Feliciano…didn't you ever wonder why, or how, you could cure the Nightmares, or even the REDs…? Hmm?" **

Feliciano swallowed. "N-no…" he answered honestly.

**"Exactly. Did you ever wonder why you seemed ****_toxic_**** to Nightmares?" **he slowly started heading towards him. **"Why is it that I didn't tie you up like the others? It would be much easier, wouldn't it? But alas, I can't touch you. Not without me getting hurt, I mean."**

Something sparked in Feliciano's mind. That meant that maybe he had a chance…! If he touched him-

**"Ah-ah-ah, I know what you're thinking. I wouldn't do that, if I were you." **The Nightmare mockingly shook a finger in front of him.

Feliciano brought up his right arm, and flexed his fingers. "You just said I was toxic to you. I remember now, you are right…when I cured that Nightmare, he got scorched…I should do that to you!" he shouted, before running towards the Sentient, arm outstretched.

The Nightmare dodged him, and distanced himself a little.

**"Ah, but you forgot…"**

The Sentient was at his side instantly, and he whispered something in his ear.

**"…that Nightmares are also toxic to ****_you_****."**

That being said, the Sentient lightly touched the Italian on his right shoulder, and Feliciano screamed.

"Feli!"  
"Feliciano!"  
"Fuuuuuuck!"

Feliciano staggered, clutching his shoulder. He looked down, and realized with horror that the blue scales were spreading from under the bandages on his forearm.

The Sentient waltzed around the room, occasionally kicking somebody on purpose.

**"Hahaha! Ah, little Feli, I probably know what you're thinking! 'But what about the REDs, then?' You are toxic only to Nightmares, my friend. The REDs do not count! REDs are somewhere between the humans and Nightmares… so your body does not recognize them as threats…! Oh, but that's also because you're a RED yourself. I bet you didn't sense Francis, the first time you met him, did you? You started feeling REDs only after you had cured him!" **he paused by the Frenchman's side, and kicked his shins for sheer entertainment. **"Because he was exactly like you. Actually, no. You were, I have to admit, a…strange RED. You even didn't need to feed on humans!" **

He laughed, and came to a halt for the second time by somebody's side. The tendrils brought the person up to the Sentient's eye level. It was Arthur.

**"Ah, Arthur dear. I can see the cogs in your mind turning… You also couldn't find an explanation to it all, am I wrong?" **the Nightmare chuckled, moving some blond bangs from the Brit's forehead with a clawed finger.

Arthur grimaced, and then spat in the Sentient's face.

The Sentient froze, and slowly cleaned his masked cheek. His violet eyes had become glacial, colder than any winter, as he stared at the growling Brit. **"…Bad boy." **The tendrils started constricting themselves around the Brit's body, and he started screaming.

Feliciano remembered in horror how the tendrils had scrapped the metal of the tank. The Sentient was probably crushing Arthur's bones right now. "Stop!" He lunged forward, pressing his palm on the Sentient's broad back. His whole arm burned as if he had put it in boiling oil, but the Nightmare recoiled, dropping the Brit on the ground and jumping away from the Italian.

Feliciano fell on his knees beside the Brit, however he didn't have the faintest idea of what to do to help.

The Sentient hissed, touching his back, as some smoke originated from the spot Feliciano had touched. Then, he composed himself, as if nothing had happened, and the tendrils stopped crushing Arthur's frame.

**"Feliciano, please do not interrupt me while I'm trying to explain everything to you. Be a good boy, дa?"**

"Why are you doing this!?" Feliciano shouted out of sheer exasperation. He felt as if the Sentient could hold his very essence in his clawed hands, and he was slowly tearing it apart. Slowly, and painfully, in tiny little shreds…

The Sentient shrugged. **"…Because it is fun, of course! I've been bored for more than a year…do you even know how alone, how ****_empty_**** I've felt?" **he asked, clutching his chest dramatically. Feliciano frowned. Was he telling them the truth, or was he acting…? He honestly couldn't tell.

**"That's why I want to put in a little ****_drama_****, here. I want to have some fun, is that really so bad? I'm really enjoying, this, aren't you?" **

He received no answer, and continued as if nothing had happened. He pointed a clawed finger at the wheezing Brit. **"That man over there couldn't understand what you were. You had this special ability of curing. However, you had something strange on your hand… and you weren't a Nightmare, or a RED… or so he thought. Let me tell you…no, actually, wait. Why don't ****_you_**** tell the others, Romano?" **the Sentient purred, turning towards the older Italian.

"…The fuck?!" Romano growled, as he was lifted into the air as well, until he was at the Sentient's eye level.

**"Why don't you tell everyone here how, more than a year ago, Feliciano…****_died_**** in your arms…?" **the Sentient whispered mockingly, stressing the 'd' word.

"What…?" Tino whispered.

"He…died…?" Ludwig murmured, unbelieving, his gaze darting back and forth from the Sentient to Feliciano.

Romano grimaced. "Shuddup…L-let me go…" he whispered, terrified by those violet orbs. Those eyes seemed to burn with purple flames, but they were as cold as ice at the same time. And he felt as if they were boring into his very soul.

"I…I…"  
**"Pray tell us, Romano. We're all listening."**

"F-fuck…"Romano was trembling uncontrollably, as he stared into those amethyst eyes. Suddenly, it seemed to him that they became bigger and bigger, until he got swallowed up by them…he fell into the darkness…and the next moment he was holding a dying Feliciano in his arms, blood oozing from the wound in his chest…

He started screaming. He curled all up on himself in midair, trying to block the shocking memory.

"…Romano!" Antonio exclaimed, worried at the sudden outburst.

"Roma!" Feliciano shouted. "You! Stop, whatever you're doing! Stop!" the Sentient definitely had done something to his brother. He had seen it. The horrified expression on Romano's face, as he had locked his eyes with the Nightmare's…

**"Oh? But I merely showed him something he had already seen. Oh well."**

The Sentient brusquely dropped Romano on the floor again, and the Italian stopped screaming. He was crying silent tears now, sobbing with his gaze lost somewhere in space.

"…Bastard…" Antonio snarled. "…You'll pay for this!"

The Nightmare shrugged again. **"Anyway…Feliciano. Let me explain this all to you, since you obviously can't remember. Hmm, let's see. That day, you got infected by the RED infection that was originally destined for your brother. You, ah!, heroically jumped in front of him, and you got hit instead. Now, the RED infection normally has two outcomes. One." **He put up his index finger. **"The human has a significant sin, and so the infection enhances it, and eventually transforms the human into a RED. Two." **Another finger got up. **"There is no relevant sin, or it is not big enough to enhance. So the infection turns against the body, and kills it from the inside as if it were a poison. You however, did not feature in any of the two cases."**

Feliciano swallowed, waiting for the explanation despite himself.

**"Let's see, how should I put this…ah yes. You, Feliciano, were simply…too ****_innocent_****. You were too innocent for the infection to have some effect. You weren't afflicted by Jealousy, Lust, Vainglory, Greed… heck, not even by Sloth or Gluttony which are some of the most common! You just were too pure. Spotless. Innocent. So the infection somehow had to adapt, and how did it do that? I do not know exactly, but I guess it simply sealed all of your innocence away, so it could infect the body. Once the innocence had been put away, the infection should have killed you, or it shouldn't have acted at all, because there was nothing to act on. However, it somehow happened, and the day after you died you woke up like one of my REDs. So you were a RED, but you indeed were a strange one. For instance, you didn't have an armour of some sort. You still kept completely your human appearance. And you had, like all the other REDs, a stunning ability."**

Feliciano's hands were shaking uncontrollably now. Every word the Nightmare said was like a stab to his heart, but the most terrifying thing was that…somehow he knew…he was telling the truth.

He looked up from his trembling hands, and his gaze locked with the Sentient's. His sight got filled with those violet eyes that burned… He fell into those eyes… and he heard a order, echoing deep in his mind and making his bones tremble from inside. **_"Do it."_** Something clicked in Feliciano. An electric shiver somehow went through his body. His shoulders jerked and he blinked, as the vision disappeared. Feliciano furiously shook his head, tearing his gaze from those eyes. What had happened…? He saw with the corner of the eye that his friends shuddered in their black binds, on the floor.

The Sentient was still talking, as he waltzed around the room again.

**"Ah, such a stunning ability you have indeed, Feliciano! It was actually terrifying for me, because you could cure anything you touched, me included. ****_However_****…"**

The Sentient's voice dropped a tone or two, as he ominously continued talking. Suddenly, Feliciano heard a scream, followed suit by others, until the room was filled with them. Feliciano looked around in panic, and saw everyone trash about in their binds, while they were screaming, groaning or whimpering.

"What did you do!?" Feliciano screeched, as he went from body to body, not knowing what to do to help. Ludwig, Kiku, Romano, Francis, Arthur, Gilbert… everyone was writhing and howling in pain, eyes shut. He fell on his knees yet again between Ludwig and Kiku, still not knowing what to do. "What did you do to them!?" he repeated, as tears of panic were rolling down his cheeks.

The Sentient didn't answer, this time. Feliciano tried to comfort the two he was kneeling beside. "Shh…Shh…" He was about to touch Ludwig's face, when the Nightmare spoke up.

**"I wouldn't do that, if I were you." **The Sentient warned him.

"_What did you do!?_" Feliciano screamed again. He was so terrified right now he was feeling numb. He watched in horror, incapable of helping, as his friends contorted on the floor in pain.

**"Bzzzt! Wrong question! The question should be, Feliciano, what did ****_you_**** do."**

"What!?"

**"…You remembered only one of the two sides of your blade, little Feli. Not only you can cure…" **

Feliciano stared at the Sentient in horror, not sure if he wanted to hear what was coming next.

**"…But you can also ****_infect_****, and create REDs with one, simple, touch."**

* * *

Francis' attention to the Sentient's constant talking wavered. A strange feeling was slowly building inside of him, and he felt his skin tingle. His heart skipped a beat, as he realized where he had felt this before.

_No…_

_No, no, no, nonononononono…_

His head started hurting, and it felt as if it was moments from exploding like a balloon. His skin started to feel itchy, and his torso hurt…However his back hurt more than anything, it was burning, as was his heart…

_…No!_

He hunched his shoulders screaming, as light blue wings sprouted from his shoulder blades, ripping his clothes.

* * *

Lukas' heart constricted with fear, when it was jabbed by something that felt like a dagger of ice. His dull blue eyes widened, as realisation struck him. He knew where he had felt this, before.

He curled all up on himself groaning, and tried to keep warm. But it was too late, he already felt his body temperature drop dramatically, his heartbeat slow down, and his breath start become laboured.

_No…please no…not again…_

Contrasting the freezing cold that was overwhelming him from inside, he felt the base of his back burn. He screamed, as the dark blue tail emerged from the base of his spine.

* * *

Gilbert groaned, as he curled up on himself. He felt _sick_.

His skin started to tingle, and his fingers twitched on their own accord. He knew that he had felt this before…

_Nein…_ he grimaced, as he desperately tried to stop his hands from twitching. He didn't want this…not again!

His head felt as if it were moments from exploding, and started screaming when he felt himself become much more heavier, shoulders twitching as electricity flowed through them.

* * *

Antonio wheezed, as he felt his heart burn inside his chest. Scratch that, his whole body was on fire. He started panicking when he felt the lower half of his face suddenly blocked. He couldn't move his lips…he suddenly realized that they were gone.

_No…! _

He heard his own ragged breaths, and he heard they were starting to become distorted.

_No, no, no…_

He howled, arching his back, as he felt his body being covered up by the heavy crimson armour again.

* * *

Feliciano started hyperventilating, when he saw Ludwig's jaw and neck become covered with black scales. No, this wasn't happening! Its couldn't be possible!

"No!" he screamed. "Ludwig, no!"

The German didn't respond to Feliciano's shouts, as he kept his eyes closed and his bared teeth clenched.  
Feliciano turned to the Japanese. "Kiku!" Kiku's eyes were wide, while his breath became faster and faster. Golden scales started to from on the Japanese's arms.

"No!" Feliciano stood up and desperately looked left and right. Romano was coughing and wheezing, as dark green scales started covering his face and shoulders. Almost everyone was starting to become covered with those dreadful scales…

Suddenly, Antonio, Lukas, Gilbert and Francis screamed all at the same time, and Feliciano noticed they had reverted back to their RED appearance. As soon as the transformation had finished, the black tendrils restraining them disappeared, and they could move freely.

Feliciano was scared. So, so scared. He looked around desperately searching for help, anything. He saw the Sentient chuckle, as he kneeled beside Matthew. The Canadian wasn't showing any scales, so why did he look in pain like all the others…?  
**"Oh, little Matvey…it seems like this is not you lucky day! You do not fulfill the requirement…"**

Matthew coughed and writhed in his coils, and Feliciano's heart skipped a beat, as he realized what the Sentient meant.

The Nightmare laughed. **"You'll simply die! До свидания, it was nice knowing you. Oh, Feliciano, while we're at it, I think you'll have to say goodbye to some people! For instance, Matvey here, Emil, Bella and Tino… They will not see tomorrow's dawn."**

Feliciano felt the world crumble around his feet, as he realized this had been all his fault. "No…" he still didn't understand everything, but he felt that the dreadful words the Nightmare had spoken were true. They had lost.

Everything was lost.

"Felicianoooo!" Ludwig roared. Feliciano's head snapped sideways to look at the German, two or more meters between them. Ludwig had gotten on his knees. He was panting, black scales were marring his face and neck, but his blue eyes burned with determination. "Don't you dare give up! Fight him!"

The Sentient somehow appeared beside the German. **"Oh? What do we have here? Wrath? Impressive, Ludwig. You'll be one of the strongest." **

As if to prove this fact, in that exact moment, Ludwig freed himself from the black bindings. Or, almost. One or two zigzagging tendrils still held on to his frame, but it didn't matter. If it was because of the sheer desperation, or the newly acquired strength of a RED, Ludwig didn't know. And honestly, he didn't care, as he finally stood up again. All he wanted now was to pound the Nightmare's face in the dirt, hit him until he broke that damn armour of his, and then break his bones, and then break more bones, until he was nothing but red mush… Ludwig stopped for the slightest of moments. Since when had he been so violent…? So…_angry_? He shook his head, as he directed all of his hate towards the Sentient. He lunged for him with his now black clawed right hand, but missed.

The Nightmare jumped backwards, and nodded towards the four original REDs.

**"****_Get him_****."**

The REDs growled, and jumped towards the German, whirling past the Sentient and Feliciano.

"LUDWIG!" Feliciano screamed getting up on one knee, wanting to help him. However, something blocked him. Again, an order echoed in his mind. **_"Stop."_**

What was that? Why did he hear that? How? And why did he have to…to obey!? Because indeed, he found himself blocked, unable to move. Just as the voice had said, he had stopped.

Suddenly, he understood. Of course. It was the Sentient. And if he was a RED… it meant he could control him…

"It was you!" He screamed accusingly at the Sentient. "You did this! I didn't!"

The Nightmare bent down until they were at eye level. Feliciano winced at this and leaned backwards, he was scared to look at those violet eyes, but somehow he didn't look away. **"Well…maybe I ****_did _****order you do to it. But in the end, it is your ability, not mine. It's still ****_your_**** fault, little Feli."**

Feliciano grimaced, scowling at the Sentient. "…Then…Then…! Then I will make it right again!" He tried to stand up, but was blocked again.

**_"Don't move."_**

He gritted his teeth, as he felt his muscles stop moving at the order. He felt so utterly useless! He saw Ludwig with the corner of his eye, trying to fend off Francis and Gilbert alone. And was he seeing things, or was Ludwig's skull mask already forming…?

**"Let me show you some things, hm? I bet images will be worth thousands words, and I'm kind of getting tired of talking." **The Sentient purred, making a gesture to cup Feliciano's chin, but luckily restraining himself in time. Feliciano shut his eyes quickly and bowed his head sideways. He would not fall for his tricks again…

The Nightmare chuckled.

**"You are so brave, Feliciano. I mean it! However, I also have to add…you are kind of dense."** He paused, looking up at his REDs and the humans that were struggling, before looking down again. **_"Look at me."_**

Feliciano's eyes snapped open against his will, and his eyesight was filled with those dreadful eyes.

...

And then, he started remembering.

* * *

Feliciano was standing in front of the Sentient, who in turn was sitting on his chair. It was pretty dark in the room, so he wondered how he could even distinguish the dark figure from its surroundings. Feliciano opened his mouth to speak, but his voice sounded distant, as if echoing through a tunnel.

_"How am I alive?"_

In addition to the distant echo of his voice, it also seemed different, somehow.

Colder. Unfeeling. This wasn't him…right?

The Sentient chuckled. **_"Honestly, I do not know. You tell me, Feliciano."_**

_"And what about this hand? It hurts. As does my gut, whenever I am around you." _Feliciano moved up his hand so the Nightmare could see there was a small slash running on the back of it. It hurt, however, it was not bleeding.

**_"Well…That's yet another mystery, hm?"_**

...

_"I don't get why humans are so stubborn. They are still hiding, fighting and surviving, despite all odds."_

**_"I rather enjoy that about them. Even if they are doomed, they still fight."_**

_"It's stupid. And meaningless."_

**_"It's a pity they'll probably all become Nightmares."_**

A pause. Feliciano saw something flash in the Sentient's eyes.

_"What are you thinking about…?"  
__**"…Oh, nothing."**_

…

_"It's the stupidest thing I have ever heard…!"  
__**"It's not."**_

_"Well, I don't want to do it!"_

**_"You probably haven't realized yet that you don't have a choice. You, after all, are still a RED. However different you might be. You will obey, willing or not."_**

Feliciano gulped.

_"…Fine."_

**_"Good boy. Now, repeat to me what you have to do."_**

Feliciano sighed and started reciting, bored. _"Go outside, wander around until I find some surviving humans. Given my appearance, they will not think I am an enemy. I will join them, and find their hiding place. I have to find the strongest out of these humans. If possible, find even other survivors and make them join." _He paused. _"I still don't get why, though."_

The Sentient sighed, and stood up.

**_"Despite of what you might think, I admire the humans. At least, the ones that survived all of this. The ones that didn't get infected. The ones that are still fighting. I'm convinced that those are the world's finest humans. And it would be a pity for those to become dumb, nonspeaking mindless creatures, _****дa****_? If they happened to become Nightmares, all those astounding features that guaranteed them survival up until now would be lost. I get it that there are still many humans surviving, that's why I'll wait. _****We****_ will wait. Days. Months. Actually, maybe I should wait a whole year. Yes, that sounds good. By then the number of survivors would probably have thinned considerably."_**

Feliciano still didn't understand. _"It makes no sense! You say you want to save humanity, and then you say you'll wait until their numbers have decreased? You are contradicting yourself. And your own nature."_

The Sentient chuckled. **_"If we acted now, then they wouldn't be the world's finest now, would they? I'll give them one year. Let's see if there are some who are stubborn enough to pull through all of this."_**

_"And then what!?"_

**_"I beg your pardon?"_**

_"What will you do once the year will be over? I don't get it! I doubt you'd give them a medal. Or wait, maybe we should offer them some tea and biscuits, and give them a pat on their back!"_

The Sentient answered after one whole minute, and his voice was a mere whisper.

**_"I'm surprised you didn't figure it out by yourself already. They obviously are not Nightmares, and neither could they remain human. They wouldn't last. And they would not listen to me, even if what I'm doing is for their sake. …So they will become REDs, thanks to your ability. They will all retain their memories, their achievements, their struggles… Let's say that we'll help them up the stairs of evolution, hm?"_**

_"So you see yourself as a liberator."_

**_"…I like the word 'saviour' better."_**

…

Feliciano was walking through the twentieth city already. He was tired, and the sun was setting behind angry clouds. It looked like it could rain any minute now.

A year had passed. Actually, fourteen months had. The Sentient had gotten other three REDs, too. And finally, the Sentient had sent him out for that idiotic mission.

He really didn't see the point in all of this… but of course, he couldn't refuse the order of the '_almighty saviour_ of humanity'. He scoffed.

Suddenly, he lost his balance.

Maybe it was because of his tiredness. Maybe it was because he had stepped into a puddle. Maybe it was because he had been distracted.

Either way, he slipped.

And fell.

And hit his head roughly on the side of a boulder.

_"Ah!"_

The next word he spoke, a good hour later, was a word he had not said in more than a year. A clueless tone accompanied that single word.

_"…Ve…"_

…

The scene somehow changed. These weren't his memories anymore. These were _the Sentient's_ memories.

…

**_"Feliciano's been acting strange, lately… I still have not heard of him since six days ago. Strange. I wonder what happened."_**

He was idly playing with a random chess piece, twirling it in his black hands. He hadn't played chess in a long time. Maybe he should go and fetch his old game boards…?

…

A Human Nightmare left his room. He had been informed with truly unsettling news.

**_"Feliciano has joined some survivors…but he has lost his memory?"_**

That could be a problem.

Actually, no, it could be something useful. Like this, the humans would trust Feliciano more. And Feliciano's ability guaranteed success. He simply needed to touch the person once. Then, even if it was months later, he could start the process of the infection whenever he wanted.

How convenient.

He smiled, and picked up his old chess games. He should arrange his plans accordingly to the changed situation. Maybe he could put the _world's finest_ through another test.

A test against his REDs sounded good.

…

**_"Ah, Francis has lost against them."_**

Not that he was surprised. He had sent him for one purpose only, and that was to lose against the humans, and then be cured by Feliciano. If he actually remembered he could do that.

Luckily, he had.

And now, he could follow their every move from inside their hiding place. To be more precise, from Francis' eyes.

He straightened his spine, as he heard the other three return. He had to put up a decent act. He should be angry they had lost their comrade, no?

…

Something he had seen from Francis' eyes unsettled him.

What was that on Feliciano's hand…?

He had actually never found an answer before, but to be all honest, he had also kind of forgotten about it.

He would pay more attention to that from that moment.

Also, he had learnt that that Brit guy could use magic. Magic! He hadn't even thought it could exist…! Humans truly were remarkable. And without him, abilities like that would surely disappear. He really was doing something good.

It was all for their own good.

…

Now even Lukas had been defeated. Not without effort, but it was impressive nonetheless. He had also just received notice from his Nightmares that they had found humans who travelled around with a tank.

**_"My, this could get interesting. Why not bring them together…?"_**

…

He was angry. His Nightmares had attacked the three stray humans with the tank so they would move in the right direction. However, one had been infected.

Feliciano had to get there and fix it as soon as possible.

…

Gilbert had been the best choice after all. And he himself had also played his cards right. He had noticed that Feliciano's right hand had gotten worse.

And he had finally understood what it was. That white crystal-like thing. It was Feliciano's innocence that had been sealed away. And that innocence, which was opposed to the RED infection, was getting stronger. So if a RED happened to be nearby, around that time, the innocence would automatically head for the RED to cure it.

At least so he had thought.

It had been a risky assumption, in the end. He didn't know if that state was going to last. But luckily, it was exactly what had happened. Feliciano had walked on his own away from the others, towards Gilbert, so that the RED could bring him to the humans with the tank. Feliciano had obviously cured the Nightmare-infected human in a jiffy.

What he didn't understand was why the innocence was emerging _now_, of all times.

However, it still meant that Feliciano's innocence was getting stronger.

What would the RED side of Feliciano do, to counteract…?

…

Hm, apparently, to counteract the growing strength of the innocence, Feliciano was starting to manifest RED features on his hand. And the other REDs received a strange feeling when around Feliciano. He had erased their memories of the Italian long before any of this started, but their instincts told them that he was dangerous. And little did they know that they couldn't be more right.

He had to hurry up.

He had to distract them. He had to move them out of that mountain, towards a place that was nearer to him. Hmm, Feliciano could feel Nightmares, right…? That could be most useful.

Oh, and Antonio had to be readied.

…

**_"Good grief! That foolish idiot!"_**

Antonio had almost killed one of them! Sure, he had meant it to be a good and spectacular fight, but he had predicted the Spaniard would have had to deal with more than a dozen opponents. Not that his RED would make almost a whole building collapse on itself…! Luckily, everything was still going smoothly.

Also, even more fortunately, that Brit _and_ Lukas could use magic. It still amazed him that it existed in the first place.

Anyway, they were in the corridor of Nightmares that he had arranged. It wouldn't be long until they reached their destination, only one city away from where he was right now…

However, he was still worried about his sist-

* * *

**"Now, that will be enough." **The Sentient interrupted the flow of images, but didn't free him from that strange bind. So his vision was all black.

However, beside the Nightmare's words, he heard also other sounds. They were muffled, as if behind some kind of glass…

They were fighting sounds.

Feliciano flinched, when he heard Ludwig yelp. He wanted to help them. He really wanted to. With all his soul, he didn't want it all to be true. But what the Sentient had showed him… he knew… it was all real…

He felt so helpless, and he was a...a _traitor_.

An image of the Sentient appeared in front of him. **"Do you see now, Feliciano? Do you understand?"**

Feliciano barely had any strength or willpower left to open his mouth to reply. He felt drained of all his energy, simply…_empty_. All he had lived for, everything he had experienced, it had all been a lie. It was never meant for him to go like this.

He remembered the moment when he fell and hit his head now. It gave him an all too familiar feeling. He had dreamt about it almost every night, in his nightmares: he kept falling, and falling, and _falling_, over and over again.

He also remembered all the good times he had had with the others.

Kiku, Arthur, Berwald, Tino, Mathias, Bella, Francis, Alfred, Lukas, Emil, Yao, Matthew, Gilbert, Antonio... And of course, Romano and Ludwig. They had all been so happy...

"I-I…"  
**"You do understand that all I want to do is to help them. Just like you. We're helping them!" **The Nightmare exclaimed, enthusiastic about it all.

Feliciano frowned, almost disgusted. Of course he wasn't helping them! They would only become his pawns! But in his distorted way of seeing the world, the Sentient indeed saw himself as a saviour.

He had become completely crazy.

"You're crazy…" he mumbled, slowly shaking his head, trying to make his head feel less numbed. His thoughts were all hazy, somehow…

**"That's not true, and you know it. Because we designed this plan together, Feliciano. And without you, it would have never been complete." **Oh God, he almost sounded like a proud teacher prising his best student.

"…But I didn't want _any_ of this!" Feliciano exclaimed, balling his fists. His head was slowly getting less hazy, and the fighting sounds didn't echo as much as before. As if they were getting nearer.

**"…Even in that case, you still don't have any choice, hm?" **The Sentient purred mockingly, bowing a little to get to his eyelevel. Even if they were both standing, now, the Nightmare was much more taller than the Italian.

Feliciano gritted his teeth, narrowing his eyes. He slowly felt he was slipping away from the vision the Nightmare was creating around him. He felt he could also move to his own accord again. Did the Sentient's power on him wear off, maybe…? Honestly, in that moment, he didn't care.

"I still have a choice! I…I can still fix this!" He exclaimed full of determination again.

And then he jumped to grab the Nightmare's face.

The Sentient didn't expect that. At all.

The vision completely disappeared as soon as Feliciano's hands made contact with the black mask, and immediately both of them started screaming in pain. The Sentient straightened up to all his length, and staggered backwards a few steps, trying to shake him off somehow.

But Feliciano did not want to let go. He was so angry at him, he wanted to hurt him in the only way he knew it was possible. So he wrapped his fingers around the front and the sides of the Nightmare's face, not letting go for anything in the world. Even if he himself was burning too.

"Feliciano…!"

* * *

Ludwig was having a hard time concentrating on keeping his mind straight. The anger that was boiling inside of him was hard to contain, but he somehow managed to.

However, he had also another issue that needed to be handled. The REDs he was fighting against, Francis and Gilbert, were simply too much for him. Luckily, others that had freed themselves from their binds were helping him, however also half-covered by the RED scales and armour.

Alfred and Kiku were by his side, half of the American's face covered in lead-grey scales, and the Japanese's arms already fully covered in golden coloured armour. His own hands and arms were already covered in black, and his face also felt funny, especially his right temple.

Antonio and Lukas were fighting against Berwald and Mathias and Romano, not too far away from them.

Ludwig knew the Sentient was doing something to Feliciano. Even if they stood in silence, facing each other and not moving a single centimetre from their respective positions. But Feliciano was staring the Nightmare straight in the eyes, and the German knew that could never bring any good.

Suddenly, after fending off one of Francis' attacks, he heard two screams. One distorted, and the other was a voice that Ludwig knew all too well.

Feliciano.

He whirled around to look at the two, and saw the Italian dangling from the Nightmare's face, while the latter was trying desperately to shake him off without touching him further.

"Feliciano!"

Feliciano was also in pain, he could tell. He needed to help him, whatever the cost! He looked around his feet, and saw only guns with empty cartridges, and bullet shells scattered everywhere. He noticed Feliciano's staff not too far away, but that was useless. He however saw something definitely more interesting lying beside that staff.

"Ludwig-san, look out!" Kiku cried out, and Ludwig barely managed to dodge one of Gilbert's electrified kicks. He crouched, rolled, and then got on his feet, dashing for the weapon near the useless wooden staff.

"What! Dude, don't just leave like that!" Alfred complained, avoiding Francis' punch, and then counterattacking immediately.

But Ludwig didn't care. Feliciano was still holding on to the Nightmare's face, and he saw the scales were reaching now all the way up to the Italian's right shoulder, and other scales forming on the other arm as well. He grunted, as he picked up the heavy weapon in his clumsy now clawed hands, and whirled around to immediately head towards the two.

The Sentient finally managed to shake off Feliciano, who fell to the side yelping, his hands fuming. The Nightmare fell on his knees, clutching his face with both hands, moaning in pain. His face was also fuming, and small cracks had appeared.

This was his perfect chance.

Ludwig roared in rage, as he swung his sledgehammer with all the strength he could muster at the Nightmare's face. The Sentient looked up at the sound of the roar, and just got a glimpse of the offending object before it crashed into his face.

There was a loud crack, as the sledgehammer broke through the weakened black armour, the Nightmare's head snapping sideways from the strike. Black splinters and shards flew everywhere, and somehow the sound made everyone in the room stop and fall silent.

The seemingly unbreakable armour had broken.

Not everything was lost…!

Ludwig finally could see the face of their enemy, as he slowly turned his head to face him again.

Those violet eyes were still the same, glowing menacingly.

Ludwig immediately was faced with the sight of a rather big nose, a round face and short wavy pale blond hair. But the most disturbing thing was another one.

The feeling they had always had of the Sentient creepily yet childishly smiling at them had always been an impression. A feeling, exactly.

But now... now the smile really was there, and somehow, that was even more terrifying than before.

Ludwig's nostrils flared, as he stepped back, scared of it. How stupid. How could he be afraid of a simple smile? Somehow, however, it was possible. Everyone in the room was scared and staring silently at the terrifying childish smile, afraid to even move a muscle.

However, Ludwig heard a gasp not too far behind him. Alfred…?

"No way…"

The American's light blue eyes were bewildered, as he stared at the Sentient's features.

"No fucking way in hell…!"

Now everyone was staring at Alfred.

"…_Braginski!?_"

* * *

**HOLY CRAP HOLY CRAP HOLY CRAP HOLY CRAP!**

**My brain freaking died, writing this...! Oh, my, God. Also, I was confident I had the whole week to write in peace; But the computer disappeared for three whole days! Ergo, PANIC. So here you are, the chapter is finally finished, with all the explanations and shit.**

**Ivan kind of has become crazy, but we all knew that already. He actually thinks he's doing some good, but yeah, obviously he isn't...!**

**Oh, and of course, poor Feliciano! ;_;**

**Errr...**

**Anyway!**

**I hope you are all faring well! And yet again, I love you all! But you know that already, don't you? ;)  
Also, I hope you liked the chapter! ;) I'll see you all next week!**

**OH, and also, I posted a POLL on my profile, about my ideas for the next story i could write! :D :D So if you are interested, go look it up and vote. okay? :D**

**(Remember I love reviews...*wink wink*)**

_**EDIT EDIT EDIT LOOK AT THIS DAMN EDIT! LOOK AT IT!**_

_**Guys, life's been kinda crazy these last days, so I can state already that I won't be able to upload this friday...! I'm sorry! D: Don't worry, I will definitely upload, but on the friday of next week! I'm sorry for letting you wait, I really am! I repeat, I WILL update, but on the friday of next week! That means, friday the 5th of July! Ciao everybody, I'll see you then...!**_


	34. The Daisy and the Cornflower

**HOLY CRAP! O_O**

**I'm so sorry I couldn't upload yesterday! But hey, it was not my fault this time! I'm currently on a holiday in south Italy (XD) but the town doesn't have, like, ANY internet! It's in the middle of nowhere and there is ONE internet point. I went there yesterday all like 'Lalalaaaaa' but then I saw the sign "CLOSED ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON" and I was all like 'WHAT!? YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!'. So yeah, I was pissed as hell because I worked so hard on this chapter and I really wanted to upload this X( and hey, I promised it to you all!  
ANYWAY! Here it is, finally! And boy, is it LOOOOOONG! **

**And for all of you lazy arseholes who didn't look up the song "Buonanotte Fiorellino", go now, please! Yes, thank you! You'll need it! Youtube link: /watch?v=wWJvhU2WOfY **

**Oh, and did you notice I changed the image of the story? I coloured the REDs! Yay for me! Deviantart link: /?q=hetalia+nightmare+apocalypse#/art/REDs-III-Coloured-380823364?_sid=1783b573 **

**...And it is the last chapter. ;_; Yes people, this is the****_ last chapter_****. There will be an Epilogue, but indeed... Oh God, now I'm depressed.**

**I would like to remind everyone that there is a POLL on my profile for the next story I'm going to write! I will close it on the end of August, so yeah.**

**Oh, and I would also love to know how you Americans spend the 4th of July! Is there, like, a party or something? **

**Anyway,**

**Please sit back,**

**und ENJOY.**

**(PS. Look at the title. The daisy and the cornflower are respectively Italy's and Germany's national flowers.)**

* * *

Alfred couldn't believe his eyes.

But he could never mistake that face for another.

Heck, those eyes alone should have been a direct giveaway of the Nightmare's identity. Alfred had never known anyone else with that particular violet shade in his dark blue eyes, that almost made them seem purple.

But now that he saw his face… that shape, that hair, that nose…even that creepy signature smile.

His…his former boss was the Sentient.

As well as his long lost friend.

Braginski.

Ivan Braginski.

_Ivan fucking Braginski_.

"This can't be…" He murmured. Then, "…you died!" he exclaimed, eyes wide, pointing an accusing finger at the kneeling man. "You _died!_" he repeated, trying to convince himself that this man was an impostor.

"Alfred-kun, you know this man?" Kiku panted, at which Alfred slowly nodded, kind of unsure himself.

"**Oh, really? They said I died…?" **'Ivan' said, getting on one knee, huffing. **"How unoriginal." **Alfred shuddered. He had heard that voice before, but knowing now that it belonged to his friend… it was kind of disturbing.

"Th-this can't be you! You're not Ivan! You can't be!" He repeated.

The Sentient didn't seem to like the mention of his name, because for the fraction of a second, his smile faltered. **"I beg to differ." **He looked at his REDs, who also weren't moving. **"Who ever told you to stop?!" **he snapped at them.

The REDs jumped, and then immediately resumed attacking the humans. Ludwig took advantage of the Sentient's distraction to jump sideways over to help Feliciano up. The Italian was curled in a foetal position, holding his now clawed and fuming hands close to his chest.

"Feliciano…!" Ludwig whispered urgently, touching his shoulder. Feliciano winced, and unfolded himself, quickly scuttling away from the German. Ludwig stared, surprised, at the copious tears that were falling from Feliciano's eyes. And he saw something else, filling them up like said tears.

Guilt.

Why was he feeling guilty? Ludwig had heard most of the Nightmare's horrible speech, about how Feliciano was a RED and had supposedly betrayed all of them. About how he was the one responsible of them all transforming into REDs, and of Bella and the others dying… He believed only a part of it. Maybe, maybe it was true that Feliciano had triggered it all, that he had the ability to do it. But he knew that the Italian would never do anything that would hurt them, at least not on purpose. And that was precisely it. Feliciano had been manoeuvred as a puppet on strings, like they all had been. He wasn't guilty of anything!

He slowly offered a hand, even if he knew it was clawed now. He wanted to comfort him, even if he didn't quite know himself how yet.

But Feliciano scuttled backwards even more, shaking his head furiously. "N-no, Ludwig…! D-d-d-d-don't…" he managed to utter between his sobs. Ludwig frowned. What had he done wrong?

Then, suddenly, "WATCH OUT!"

Ludwig didn't even have time to turn around, as one powerful black arm was draped around his neck, while the other completed the headlock. Ludwig choked, and clawed at the arm closing his windpipe. He started kicking and headbutting also, and felt something was weird with his head. Was something weighting it down…?

"**Ah, Ludwig. You are a little problematic. You are too strong, you need to be restrained." **The Nightmare grunted in his ear. Ludwig snarled, doing everything he could think of to break free. "Leave him alone!" Feliciano screamed, getting on his feet and dashing towards them.

"_**Stop right there.**_**" **The Nightmare commanded. Feliciano almost immediately stopped dead on his tracks, his face contorted in a frown. Ludwig blinked. Why did he stop? He understood after a couple of seconds. Of course. Feliciano was a RED…

Then, however, as if it took an enormous amount of energy, Feliciano took a painfully slow and trembling step forward. Sweat dripped from his brow, and a small smirk of victory appeared on his face.

"**I said: **_**Stop.**_**" **The Sentient repeated, slight worry in his voice. But Feliciano instead took another step, and it seemed faster than the one prior to it. Ludwig smiled. He was disobeying the Nightmare!

Feliciano's eyes narrowed, as he glared at the Sentient. "Leave him. Alone." He hissed.

He took yet another step. The Sentient started taking steps backwards, dragging Ludwig with him.

"_**Stop!**_**" **his voice… was the Nightmare panicking?

Now also Ludwig was getting a little scared. The look in Feliciano's eyes…it was one of pure hate, mixed with regret and guilt… What had the Sentient done!? What had he showed him, in those minutes they were staring into each other's eyes!? Now _he himself_ was getting angry as well. Whatever the Sentient had done to Feliciano, it must not have been a party, if the Italian was feeling guilty and angry, and crying at the same time. The anger he had boiling inside was building up in his chest, and he had to let it out, somehow. If not, he was surely going to explode…!  
Something then crashed into them from their side, and they both fell down. The Sentient lost his footing and his grip on Ludwig, who hit the ground with his head, and yet again felt something was wrong with it. It felt heavier, somehow. He felt with his hands around his temples and his eyes widened in shock. A pair of…of horns. He had a pair of bull horns on his head, each one about thirty centimetres long. He touched his face, and grimaced, discovering that his jaw was framed by the pointed teeth of the skull mask, not too unlike Lukas'.

He shook his head. He had to concentrate. He looked to see who had crashed into them. It was Alfred, who was now struggling with the Sentient. The right half of the American's face was covered in lead-grey scales, as were his chest and arms. Him and the Sentient were both rolling on the floor, punching, scratching, kicking, snarling.

They would be busy for some time. Somehow, Ludwig noticed the Sentient didn't even bother trying to order them around. Maybe he could only do that when they would become completely REDs. If so, their time was quickly running out, as was the time of the ones who were poisoned by the infection and would surely die.

He got on one knee, and saw Feliciano running towards him. "Ludwig! Ludd!"  
Ludwig stood up, and straightened his spine. "Feliciano…" He brought up his hand to dry one of the many tears of the Italian, but Feliciano winced and stepped sideways. Didn't he want to be touched…? Ludwig knew he didn't look exactly good…scratch that, he probably looked horrible, with those horns on his head. "What happened…? What horrible lies did he tell you…?"  
Feliciano shook his head, mixed emotions running loose behind his brown eyes. "Ludwig, it doesn't matter! Not now! There is a Nightmare heading for this place! And it's fast!"

"What?!"

"**Ah, finally they are coming." **The Sentient managed to grunt, satisfied, during his fight with the American. The two were rolling on the floor, their bodies a mess of tangled limbs. **"However, only one? Really? They're slacking off."  
**Alfred snarled, exasperated, rolling on top of the Sentient, their forearms locked in a bizarre position.. "Ivan! _Ivan!_ Don't you recognize me!? It's me! Alfred! Alfred Jones! Fredka!"

"**Of course I recognize you. How could I forget." **Ivan spat. **"After all, you are the one who ruined my life."**

The American was taken aback. "…What?" His surprise caused him to lower his guard for one second, and Ivan took advantage of it, and rolled on top. He pressed his forearm on Alfred's throat, closing his windpipe a little. Alfred coughed, and stared in his eyes, cerulean locked on violet. Ivan's eyes were filled with anger, and he wasn't smiling anymore. If it was even possible, this was even more terrifying than the smile itself. **"You. You are the cause of all of this. You! You just **_**had**_** to take a holiday back then, didn't you, **_**Alfred?!**_**" **he snarled.

"What are you talking abou-" Alfred choked, when the Sentient pressed down on his throat even more.

Ludwig dashed to help the American, but then tripped and fell, the hammer falling from his grasp and clattering on the ground. He looked back in confusion, and saw his legs were entirely wrapped by those black tendrils. He snarled, and started prying them off. But it would take time. And Feliciano was still standing there confused, angry, sad… he was completely immobilized now, not moving but with his eyes darting left and right, not knowing what to do. Then suddenly he started staring onto nothingness, his expression blank. Ludwig suddenly realized he was in shock. He didn't know why it had just happened, but he needed to snap him back to reality, otherwise they'd be doomed for sure. Feliciano was their only last hope. He concentrated all his efforts on the black tendrils, doing so as fast as he could. He was also getting slightly scared, because with every word the Nightmare spoke, he would feel a slight shiver run down his spine, and the begin of a headache. He was running out of time…

Alfred was slowly starting to feel the need of air. "I-Ivan-" he gasped, not able to move.

"**Shut up!" **Ivan suddenly slammed him against the floor, knocking some precious air out of him.** "Why, why did you leave?! You were in charge of the cooling system, together with her! But you left! You **_**left!**_** And then the power shut down, and we both know she couldn't handle the problem alone! But she tried to stop the disaster anyway! You know how she is! It's your fault! It's YOUR fault! That I'm! Like! This!" **With every word, Ivan would slam the American's frame against the marble floor. Alfred's eyes widened. The Nightmare was somehow gone, the one talking now was really Ivan. And he was angry. And an angry Ivan was not one of those people you would like to encounter while taking a stroll, Nightmare or not.

"W-what!?" he choked, breathing a little again. "I-I didn't have anything to do with all of that! It was an accident! W-what does Katyusha have to do with all of this!?"

Ivan's face contorted into a snarl. **"Don't you dare say her name. You don't deserve that honour! She was **_**everything **_**for me! Of course I'd run back and save her!"**

Alfred frowned, not understanding. He tried to swallow. Obviously, something he didn't know of had happened to Ivan and Katyusha on that dreadful night of the Disaster. But Ivan didn't seem to care to explain it to him.

The cool demeanour of the Sentient was gone. The one holding him pinned down on the floor was a broken _man_, not a Nightmare. Ivan was trembling with pent-up rage, but took a shaky deep breath, regaining composure and lessening the pressure on his throat. The smile slowly but steadily reappeared. The Nightmare was slowly returning already. **"Don't worry, Fredka. I already forgave you. But it hurt. It **_**still**_** hurts. But I forgave you. I forgive you. I'm helping. Yes. Helping. I'm helping you all. Yes. Yes. Helping. It hurt, but I'm helping." **

Alfred blinked. Ivan was off on a rant that resembled the one of a madman, eyes looking at him but unseeing. He grimaced, and took advantage of his lower guard, rolling again. Ivan grunted when his shoulders slammed against the floor, blinked, and then snarled, kneeing him in the stomach. They started fighting again, no breath spared for talking.

Ludwig finally managed to free himself from the tendrils, and looked around the room, feeling his heart sink lower in his chest.

Mathias, Berwald and Romano were fighting against Antonio and Lukas, the humans shouting their friends' names, trying to make them remember who they were. But it was useless.

Kiku, now aided by Yao and Arthur, was fighting against Francis and Gilbert, but Ludwig saw that the Japanese was starting to move sluggishly. Both of his arms were armoured now, and the skull mask framed his face like some kind of helmet. His RED state looked more advanced than any of the others, like himself, so it was another sign of their time running out. Also, the people still in their binds weren't screaming anymore. Tino, Matthew, Emil, Bella. They still moved and jerked weakly, but they were silent.

Ludwig turned to Feliciano, who was hugging tightly his own frame, eyes still lost somewhere in space. He neared his side quickly, and shook his shoulders vigorously.

"Feliciano!"

The Italian blinked, and looked up at him, eyes watery. "The…the Nightmare..."

"What...? What are you talking about...?" Ludwig frowned, his head starting to hurt.

"It's here…!"

Ludwig heard a distorted roar echo through the halls of the old city hall, and something heavy galloping, albeit there were no hooves sounds. Both of them turned towards the entrance, and something both terrifying and strange appeared.

An Animal Nightmare barrelled in the hall, skidding on the marble floor before stopping. Its form resembled that of a lion, and it was as big as a 7-seat car. Its eyes were the colour of gold, and it didn't have any weak spot in sight.

The strange thing was, in the lion's mouth there were some rudimentary reins, and on its back there were two people. Two _women_!?

The reins of the tamed(?) Nightmare were being held by a woman with long pale blond hair, not too unlike Ivan's, however her eyes were as cold as ice, and her face was emotionless. The woman behind her looked much like her. Even the hair colour was exactly the same, although much shorter and held back with some clips. This second woman looked older than the first one, and also much more emotional. In fact, she was looking frightened of the beast she was riding on, tears were hanging at the rim of her eyes and she was gripping the first woman's chest tightly as if she were her only anchor, her only salvation. Ludwig couldn't help but notice also the very generous breasts of the second woman.

While the chaos created by the REDs carried on, Alfred, Ivan, Feliciano and Ludwig froze.

"K-Kat?" Alfred choked, pinned down yet again by Ivan.

The first woman, the emotionless looking one, clicked her tongue at the lion, tugging the reins. The lion whined a little, and then let his belly rest on the floor. At once, the woman discarded the reins, and jumped off the beast.

_What kind of terrifying woman is she, if she could actually tame that beast!? _Ludwig found himself thinking, looking at the sharp features and the glacial eyes of the woman.

The woman nonchalantly dusted her skirt off – yes, she was wearing a long skirt - ignoring the mayhem around her caused by the REDs.

Alfred noticed Ivan was shivering.

"Big brother!" The woman exclaimed, her voice excited but her face still emotionless. "Is it really you?! We finally found you!"

Ivan fell off of Alfred's chest, and scuttled backwards, covering his face. **"Hет…No…Go away..."**

Feliciano frowned, confused. Was the Sentient scared of them?

"Vanya...?" The big-breasted woman asked, clumsily getting off the lion. She glanced around, a bit scared of the fighting going on around her, but still heading for Ivan. "V-Vanya! What are you doing…? A-Alfred? Is that you…?"

Feliciano heard the muffled murmurs of Ivan, who was still desperately trying to cover his face. **"No…not like this…нет, not now…go away…"**

The Sentient wasn't scared. He was…ashamed. Feliciano blinked.

Ludwig suddenly felt his head throb painfully, hit by a powerful headache.

"Big brother…!" The woman with the icy eyes cried, her lips betraying the slightest of emotions.

Feliciano saw Ivan freeze, and then **"**_**GO AWAY!**_**" **he shouted, scrambling on his feet, marble floor shattering around him.

* * *

Katyusha didn't understand. She didn't understand anything of it! Was that Ivan?! Was he the boss of the Nightmares?! Ivan?! Seriously?! She honestly couldn't believe it. Ivan wouldn't do such things, not her Ivan, not Vanya. Her little brother who had cried over a dead sunflower.

But... she remembered that dreadful night, years before… when everything changed. Maybe... maybe that night indeed had changed her little brother.

A Nightmare had broken their front door, and had tried to bite her little sister. Natalya, however, had been pushed away by Ivan just in time.

Ivan had been behaving strangely those last few months, ever since his quarantine. As soon as he had gotten out of the facility he had bought gloves, and he would never remove them, not even for sleeping. He didn't want to touch anything, she had noticed that. If he had to touch something, he did so only with his fingertips and in the fastest way possible. He would often look at the walls or the doorknobs, or even the chairs, a disgusted expression washing over his face for the slightest of moments. Also, he had become much more quieter, but she had caught him several times, when he thought he was alone, muttering unintelligible words to himself.  
But that night, he had been her Ivan again. Her nice, big-hearted little brother. Just like when he had run back to save her from the nuclear plant sealing itself shut, he had shoved Natalya away from the monster's jaws in spite of his own wellbeing. But then the monster hadn't spared him a glance, even if they both were lying on the ground, vulnerable. Instead, it had focused on her.

She remembered it all too well. The Nightmare had been about to attack her with its horrible claws, but then a voice had bellowed in the room.

"**NO! STOP!" **

The Nightmare had stopped immediately. She had looked around to find the source of the voice of her saviour. She only found a kneeling Ivan, with eyes wide, both hands wrapped around his own throat. She couldn't believe it. That hadn't been his voice…right? The voice had been _distorted_…

She had seen his brother cough a few times, and then fall on all fours, his body racked by the coughs. His head was bowed down, but she had seen that he was coughing up something dark, that splattered on the wooden floorboards. She had immediately thought it was blood, but it had been too dark to be that. It had been as black as ink.

Ivan's head had snapped up, and one hand had gone to cover his mouth. He had looked horrified at the Nightmare, which was still standing motionless.

Nobody had dared to move.  
Ivan had coughed again, holding his hand firmly on his mouth, but she had seen again that black liquid, dripping between his fingers. Natalya had put her hand hesitantly on his shoulder, wanting to help him, but he had shrugged it off. He then had taken a sharp breath, as if he had suddenly realized something important. He had gingerly stood up and removed the hand. From his mouth small black streaks of unknown substance went down his chin and neck, until they stained his precious scarf.

Ivan had frowned and grimaced, and then taken a deep breath. He had been about to say something, and looked first at Natalya, who was still on the ground behind him, and then at her. His eyes had wanted to tell her something…but she had never quite understood what.

"**Get out."**

_What…?_ No, it had not been directed to her. The Nightmare's lifted claw had trembled a little.

"**Get out.**_**Now**_**."**

Ivan had watched as the monster went past them, and then outside the broken frame of the door,

"…Brother…!" she had exclaimed, wanting to hug her brother because he had saved them. But Ivan had turned around to face her, shaking his head and taking a step back, towards the outside.

"V-Vanya, what's wrong…?"

Natalya had stood up beside her, also with worried eyes while looking at her older brother.  
Ivan had simply shaken his head. She had blinked, when she had seen something black creeping up from his brother's neck and up to his jaw. _Are those scales…?_ Indeed, they were, and they were spreading fast.

"…**I…I-I'm sorry."**

He had smiled as warmly as he could to both of them, and then he had left.

The world had been in chaos ever since that night. Nightmares were swarming everywhere, but somehow, they had managed to survive through all of the chaos. She and Natalya had abandoned their home and travelled around, until they had found an abandoned farm somewhere in the countryside. They had started living there, far away from the cities and with plains all around for kilometres. They had always known they were being watched by Nightmares, but they didn't think it was important. It was normal for Nightmares to snoop around the plains, and normally they wouldn't even look at the farm, and if they did…well, Natalya was good with guns. And knives. Actually, pretty much anything would become a weapon in her little sister's hands. That was, honestly, kind of terrifying.

But one night, after years, Natalya had made her notice that there were two Nightmares, always the same ones, watching them from far away. Natalya had taken out one of them, and had forced the other one, which vaguely resembled a lion, to bring them to their master. Natalya was getting sick of being watched all day and wanted to make the creeper stop. But... neither of them would never have guessed that said creeper would turn out to be their brother...!

And there she was now, staring at the man clad in back who used to be her brother. He was ashamed to have been caught, she could see that, because he was desperately trying to cover his face. He was also muttering something she couldn't understand, but then-

"_**GO AWAY!**_**"**

* * *

Feliciano saw the black zigzagging tendrils shoot up from the ground, shattering the marble floor, and wrap themselves around the two women.

"Ivan!" Alfred shouted, scrambling onto his feet again. Ivan made black coils wrap themselves around the American's legs, so he tripped, falling face-first.

"**Don't worry. I will not harm you." **He said, talking to the two women.

The woman with short hair, whom Alfred had called 'Kat', tried to talk. But immediately, Ivan covered both women's mouths with those black coils. **"After all, you are still my sisters, I could never hurt you. But your arrival is highly unfortunate right now." **Ivan's sisters were struggling in midair, trying to free themselves and shouting words that resulted muffled because of the tendrils. He slowly and carefully lowered them to the ground, without harming them.

"**You." **Ivan talked to the lion Nightmare now. He nodded towards the exit. **"Go and get the others."**

The lion snarled as it got up to its feet again, freeing himself from the reins, and dashed for the door, heading towards the outside. To call upon other Nightmares.

Feliciano was despairing right now. He felt his friends become more and more like REDs with every passing second, and every hope seemed lost. Especially Ludwig seemed almost completely a RED, along with Kiku…

He had to stop the Sentient, whatever the cost! He shook his head to free himself from any hesitation, and ran for the Sentient. He wrapped his arms tightly around the big man's frame, immediately feeling himself burn. His hands, his arms, his shoulders, his chest, his face. But he didn't scream, he had to be strong. He gritted his teeth, tightening the grip, smelling already the smoke caused by the contact with the Sentient. The Nightmare instead started screaming, arching his back, and yelled something. A name. Feliciano didn't hear said name, he was too concentrated on not losing his grip on the Sentient and not start screaming to notice.

A pair of clawed hands took hold of his shoulders, and yanked him away from the Nightmare. Feliciano yelped as he hit the ground, his arms and torso fuming. He shook his head, a little disoriented, and fixed his gaze upon his attacker. He knew it was a RED, he felt it. But when he saw his attacker's face…in that exact moment, he felt the world crumble around him.

It was Ludwig.

The black skull mask covered his right eye, and a pointed row of teeth framed his jaw from ear to ear. Two horns emerged from the German's blond hair, and his body was armoured, clad almost wholly in black. His face was emotionless, lips set in a straight line. His piercing blue eyes were looking at him, but they were…absent, empty, in some kind of way.

He had become a RED.

"Ludwig-san!" Kiku exclaimed, through the battle with the REDs.

"Potato head! Don't you dare lay a fucking finger on my little brother!" Romano yelled, before ducking to evade one of Lukas' icy claws.

"Ludwig…!" Feliciano gasped, wide-eyed. No, this couldn't be happening!

"**Ah, finally, the big German brute is under my control. It seems you don't obey my orders anymore, Feliciano. If that is true, then you are of no more use to me. It is sad, really. I hoped we could work together again, like old times! But-"**

The Sentient was interrupted by Alfred, who tackled him down yet again. "Ivan, stop this madness!" He had to find something that would hit Ivan. "Can't you see you're hurting them!? You're hurting your own sisters, for fuck's sake!" he tried saying, pointing at the two women, who were now lying on the ground. Indeed, the black coils were getting tighter, apparently without the Sentient's notice.

"**Can't **_**you **_**see I'm helping you all!?" **Ivan retorted, struggling under the American.

"Helping? _Helping?!_ Seriously, Ivan?! Have you become completely insane!?"

"**You couldn't possibly understand, Alfred, not with that small peabrain of yours." **The Sentient spat. **"You are only delaying what's already been decided by Fate itself!"**

Alfred grimaced. "…You are a madman."

Ivan smiled. **"I'm afraid I cannot deny that. I think craziness…suits me."**

At that, Alfred frowned, but then they resumed their struggle, throwing punches and kicking, rolling on the ground.

Feliciano furiously shook his head, as he stared at the German's now emotionless face. "L-Ludwig! It's me, Feliciano!" he put a hand on his chest as if to emphasize the fact.

The blond didn't seem to recognize him, as he walked towards him with long strides.

"**Ludwig! I'm fairly interested in what your ability is. Please have some fun playing with the Italian, дa? So I can have some entertainment as well."**

Feliciano saw the Sentient standing up straight, one foot on the American's back. Alfred seemed temporarily knocked out, his face down in the dirt.

He shook his head furiously again, staring at the blond in front of him again. "No, Ludwig! Don't listen to him!" He honestly didn't know if he would be able to cure him right there and then. His hands were trembling, both his arms were covered in blue armour now, and his gut hurt a lot because of the Sentient and the increasing presence of the REDs. His head was spinning, still trying to record everything that was happening and trying to accept everything that had happened before. In a few words, he was a mess.

Ludwig apparently didn't hear him, and raised his foot a little. He then brought it down with so much force the marble floor cracked yet again, making the whole pavement and building shudder. An earthquake. The walls shook and cracked, some chunks even fell, making a bit of orange light seep in from the setting sun. It would be night soon, the time of the Nightmares.

"**Ooh, earth! Marvellous!" **The Sentient broadly smiled, looking around at the trembling building. Some dust fell around him from the ceiling. Then he fixed his gaze on Feliciano again. **"Finish him."**

"No!" Arthur shouted.

"Feliciano!" Mathias, Yao and Romano yelled.

Ludwig brought his other foot down, and yet again an earthquake made them all shake. Feliciano couldn't maintain his balance, and fell back on his rear, trying to scuttle away from the German. He was so terribly scared. He kept shouting the German's name, but Ludwig didn't give any sign of recognizing him.

Suddenly, big chunks of stone and marble erupted from the floor, trying to hit or crush the Italian, or close him in as if he were a sandwich. Feliciano scrambled as fast as he could on his feet, and narrowly evaded the falling boulder. He started zigzagging here and there, trying to evade those attacks. Ludwig didn't move a single step from his position, the only things moving were his eyes, as cold as ice, darting left and right to follow the Italian's movements. The Sentient appeared by his side.

"**Amazing work, Ludwig. I'll leave to you the honour of ripping his beating heart out." **He purred.

At that, the corner of the German's mouth twitched. His eyes did too, while still following Feliciano's running about. Ludwig brought up his foot again, and stomped on the floor, cracking the pavement even further. There was no earthquake, but the floor under his and Ivan's feet shuddered. The cracks in the marble spread out in a web-like pattern around the German's feet. It was highly probable that the floor couldn't take much anymore.

"**What did you-" **the Sentient started, before, indeed, the ground around them started crumbling.

Feliciano stopped dead on his tracks, when he saw a chunk of the pavement disappear down below, leaving only a gaping dark hole. "Wha…?"

He briefly saw Ivan and Ludwig fall through the floor, before he felt the ground under his feet disappear. And the three of them fell down, as did half of the marble and stone pavement.

"_Felicianoooooooo_!" Romano shouted.

But no response came from the black hole.

* * *

Feliciano coughed, the dust of the crumbled floor having settled in his lungs. He shook his head, momentarily a little confused of what had happened. Where was he again? Some light came from up above, while he was in a dark place…was he dead?

He heard two other voices cough, both distorted, and he snapped back to reality, clearing his head. Now he remembered. No, he definitely wasn't dead. He had fallen down with Ivan, and…a-and Ludwig.

"**You complete imbecile! You tried to kill me!" **the Sentient snarled, outraged, emerging from under a boulder.

He saw Ludwig not too far away, clutching his head with one hand and grimacing. **"…Get out of my HEAD!" **the German yelled, his voice now distorted as well. Two rocks emerged beside the Sentient feet in a clam-like fashion, obviously wanting to crush him.

"**Rebellious, are we? Well, this will be fun." **Ivan purred, and right after that, Ludwig screamed, clutching his head now with both hands, while he staggered backwards. The two rocks heavily fell sideways, not doing any harm to the Sentient.

Feliciano's nostrils flared, as a little bit of hope sparked in his chest. Ludwig was still there, and he was fighting the Nightmare! But Ivan was now focusing especially on the German, so he probably would not last any longer…

"Leave him alone!" Feliciano screamed, running towards the Sentient. He put himself between Ivan and Ludwig, arms spread, trying to protect his friend. He didn't want that anyone else got hurt anymore. Even if he had been a traitor, he wanted this to stop. Right now. He wanted to end it all! "It's _me_ you wanted, right? Right!? You monster, leave him alone and take me instead!" he panted, breathing heavily.

The Sentient shook his head. **"Oh, Feliciano, acting yet again like this…how **_**brave **_**you are. I have to admit, I do admire you. But what did this bravery give to you, when you saved your brother? What did you gain? Nothing. Instead, it made you a RED. Saving someone doesn't always guarantee a happy ending, you know?" **Ivan looked up at the orange hued hole up above their heads, and Feliciano got a feeling he was…referring to himself…? **"You can't keep thinking you can save everyone, Feliciano. Because obviously…"**

The Sentient paused, looking now at something behind him.

"…**you can't even save yourself."**

That's when he felt something pierce through his chest from behind. Bones cracked, and muscles ripped, his chest burned. His eyes widened as he glanced down. He saw black clawed fingertips emerging from his chest, right in the middle, where his heart should be. Blood stained those black fingers, while the same dark red liquid was steadily being pumped from the wound.

He coughed once, blood already in his mouth and trickling down his lips and chin. He finally felt the pain, the horrible pain, but it was drowned out by another realisation. His head was spinning, and his vision was already blurring. He chocked out one single word, before his knees buckled under him.

"L-Lud…wig…"

The German behind him blinked once, as realisation struck him. It hit slowly, and it felt surreal to him. He stared horrified at his hand, and then at Feliciano who was now lying at his feet.

"_**FELICIANOOOO!**_**"** he screamed, falling on his knees beside the Italian.

"…Lud…" Feliciano barely managed to whisper, his eyes half-lidded. He tried to move up one hand, but he couldn't see very good anymore. He wanted to tell Ludwig something, _anything_…that he didn't blame him…that it wasn't his fault… but he didn't see him. His vision was clouded, and he was getting weaker and weaker…

Was it getting darker…?

…Colder…?

…Arthur…

…Kiku…

…Romano…

…Everyone…

…

…_Ludwig_…

He let out a shaky breath, and then stopped moving altogether, every force in him leaving him. And he slowly got swallowed up by the darkness, the light leaving his eyes.

Tears were rolling down from Ludwig's wide blue eyes. **"No, no, no, no, no! No! No!" **He furiously stood up again, glaring at the Sentient, voice shaking with anger and grief. **"You. You! You **_**will**_** pay for this!"**

The Sentient merely laughed, which angered the German even more.

"**Hahahahahaha! Oh, Ludwig, can't you see? I already **_**won**_**. You can't make me pay! If I was able to make you **_**murder your own friend**_**, then I can obviously order you whatever I like! Hahaha! **_**Sit**_**, mutt."**

Ludwig bared his teeth, as more and more tears fell from his eyes, realizing he was powerless. So simply, utterly powerless. Those invisible strings pulled at his being again, and he fell down on his knees, obeying the Nightmare's order. He couldn't believe this…! He…he…!

He scuttled closer to Feliciano's mangled body. The Italian's hazel eyes were still open, glassy and wet with tears. His were parted, frozen while murmuring his killer's name.

Ludwig's vision blurred, and even the Sentient's laugh died away in the background. He couldn't believe it… Feliciano, the so lively Feliciano, lied frozen and motionless on the ground, in a pool of his own blood, killed by his best friend attacking him behind his back.

Ludwig cupped the Italian's cheek with a shaking hand, coated in the Italian's own blood. He choked on his own tears, and couldn't stand to look at his ashen face anymore. He shook and bowed his head, roaring in anger and despair while kneeling beside the body. He screamed, screamed, and _screamed_, for God knows how long. Seconds, minutes, hours… it seemed like years to Ludwig. Until a black clawed hand weighed down his shoulder.

"**Now, now, Ludwig. You should stop mourning already. Feliciano-"**

"**Don't you **_**dare**_** say his name!" **Ludwig snarled, up on his feet again, glaring at the Sentient, who looked taken aback.

Ivan was about to say something, with that damn _smile_ plastered on his face again. Ludwig was so angry, so deeply _enraged_, all he craved for was to rip that smile away from that face and crush it under his feet. He howled like a wounded beast, lunging for the Nightmare, who simply kept smiling.

* * *

It was so dark. So cold.

Dark.

Cold.

Black.

Black all around.

Black as ink.

And he felt so incredibly tired…

He couldn't save them… he had failed them…

A spark.

What…?

A small, tiny firefly floated in front of him.

It was calling for him. It was saying his name.

He hesitantly brought forward his hands, and wrapped his fingers around the small light as carefully as he could. It felt warm, in his hands. He brought it to his chest.

It felt warm. Alive.

Alive.

The warmth of the small light suddenly spread through his whole body, igniting like a fire.

_Live! _

* * *

Somehow, Ivan's smile suddenly disappeared, the Sentient's gaze locked on something behind the German, violet eyes wide open. Ludwig at first thought it could be a trick, but stopped nonetheless, and then he turned.

And froze immediately at the sight.

Feliciano was on his knees, slowly standing up. His head was bowed down, and his right hand was shining with so much brightness it almost hurt his eyes.

"**F…Feli…?" **Ludwig managed to utter.

Feliciano's head snapped up, and his irises were shining with the same brightness of his hand. The Italian opened up his mouth to speak.

"…_Ludwig. Don't worry. Everything will be alright."_

A shiver went down the German's spine. Feliciano's voice had become distorted as well, but in a different way, in comparison to the Nightmare or the REDs.

Feliciano slowly turned towards Ivan, who was frozen in place, not believing his eyes.

"…_Ivan. You were wrong. The infection corrupted your mind, driving you crazy and clouding your judgement. It is not your fault, I can help you."_

The light of Feliciano's hand seemed to spread under his skin in a vein-like pattern, as if it was his blood that was shining. Indeed, in a matter of moments, even the wound on his chest and the blood on his chin started to glow. The light peaked for the smallest of moments, and the blue scales and armour that had been covering the Italian's arms shattered instantly, becoming dust that fell around their feet.

The Nightmare seemed to have finally found his voice back again. **"Impossible! You should be dead! Ludwig, get him! **_**Get him!**_**"** he ordered, panic seeping into his voice.

Ludwig tensed up, expecting his body to obey the horrible order. However, to his surprise, nothing came. No psychic attack striking his mind like a sharp blade, no invisible strings pulling him and making him do whatever he was ordered to do, no strange hazy mist clouding his vision…

"**What is this!? Obey me, German!" **Ivan shouted, taking a step back shaking his head.

"_You cannot taint the mind of the others anymore, Ivan. I'm making sure of that." _Feliciano stated, slowly walking towards the Sentient. The light coming from his hand was shining brighter every second that passed, and it somehow pulsed as if it were alive. _"You have done that too many times already. Causing psychic pain to others, ordering them to attack their own family, erasing their memories… You toyed with minds as if you owned them. I'm putting an end to that."_

He slowly raised a hand towards the Sentient, still coming closer.

"**What are you!? Th-the innocence…?! But it can't be! How can you be alive!?" **

Feliciano stopped for one second, maybe two. Then, he shrugged. _"Honestly, I don't know either."_

The Nightmare started panicking, sending towards the Italian his black tendrils in a last hope they could stop him, even if such an act would result in hurting himself. However, the tendrils seemed all to stop at one meter radius from Feliciano, as if an invisible protective bubble was around him. And whenever the tendrils touched that bubble, they would shatter, first becoming white as if contaminated by the white light, and then crumbling to black dust.

"**Why won't you die already?! Die! **_**Die!**_**"**

More and more tendrils were shot in the direction of the Italian, but they all ended up in the same way. The Nightmare tried to change angles, attacking from above, from under, from one side and then the other, and behind. Nothing changed, Feliciano was still advancing, unstoppable.

Ludwig got hypnotized by the mere sight of that clash. It looked like some kind of epic battle that could have come from a typically predictable fantasy book. It all resembled a clash between two deities, between light and darkness, between good and evil. Even Feliciano's face looked like one of a god. Stoic, emotionless, shining with bright pure light while bringing justice onto the dark wicked.

Between the light and the darkness, the light was obviously having the upper hand at the moment.

"**No! Heт! Stay away from me!" **

"_Don't be afraid, Ivan. I'm helping you."_

"**Don't touch me!"** Ivan shrieked, as the black tendrils wrapped themselves around the Sentient, lifting him up towards the floor they had fallen from, back to the surface.

Ludwig blinked and snapped back to reality again as he saw the Sentient flee. **"You're not going **_**anywhere**_**, Ivan!" **he snarled, jumping onto the tendrils and holding on for dear life as he was brought up together with the Nightmare.

Feliciano was still acting calmly, as if he had everything under control. He paused a little, watching Ivan as he ascended, and then he also gripped the tendrils tightly with one hand. Strangely enough, these didn't shatter at his touch or at that strange protective bubble around him, so Ivan tried attacking him again with them while they got up. However, the ones the Sentient sent as offensive would shatter around that bubble again. The Nightmare roared in exasperation, while Feliciano's demeanour was as calm as ever.

It was so calm, in fact, that it kind of frightened Ludwig. This couldn't be Feliciano…right? No. Feliciano was not an emotionless stone-faced deity of some sort. Feliciano was the Italian boy who cheated for the fun of messing things up while playing cards.

They finally got over the edge of the hole, and Ludwig and Feliciano released the tendrils, landing smoothly on both feet. Ivan landed a bit more farther from them, and was met with an outstanding - and, for the Nightmare, unsettling - sight.

Nobody was fighting anymore. Antonio, Gilbert, Lukas and Francis simply stood beside their friends, glaring at him.

"**What's this?! REDs, resume attacking at once!" **Ivan barked, pointing at Feliciano. **"Get him!"**

Silence followed, and nobody moved. Gilbert, Lukas, Mathias and Berwald bared their teeth, scowling at him, while all the others glared. Antonio growled softly. Romano was growling and scowling as well, but his eyes widened as he saw his brother, shining brighter than a pine tree on Christmas eve.

"F…Feli…? What the fuck's happening!?"

"…_Don't worry, Romano. Everything's going to be fine. As I said earlier, you can't taint the minds of the others anymore, Ivan. You don't have any power over them anymore." _Feliciano's flat voice stated, walking towards Ivan yet again.

Ivan took steps backwards shaking his head, powerless, seeing that everything was lost. **"Think about this, Feliciano! Okay, you cure me. The big bad guy is gone. Yay, party! And **_**then**_** what!? My Nightmares are surrounding this city, probably already this very building, as we speak! You can't possibly think of coming out of here alive!"**

"…_I know that. I feel them, they are indeed around this building. They will probably barge in any moment now. But do you remember what you said before, Ivan?…That I couldn't possibly save everyone? You were wrong… because I can."_

Ivan scoffed at this. **"As if I'd believe such nonsense. Shining like a disco-ball obviously did not improve your intelligence." **

Feliciano continued talking as if he hadn't heard him. _"…As for the coming out alive part…I think I'll have to agree with you." _The last part was muttered, almost whispered.

Everyone took a sharp breath at this.

"WHAT!?" Romano roared.

"No…!" Others murmured in unison.

"You're kidding, right?!" Mathias tried.

Ludwig looked at Feliciano, not believing his ears. **"No…"**

Feliciano turned around to face him. He looked like a stranger, with that calm demeanour. The real Feliciano would spazz out at the mere sight of a spider, not face death with a straight face. And all that white, shining in random places, only added to the 'stranger' effect: his hand, his chest, his mouth, the irises and the light pulsing under his skin. Ludwig desperately tried to find something that would remind him of his old Feliciano. And he found it in his eyes. His eyes…even if the irises where shining white, Ludwig still saw some hazel in it, and it was all he needed to know that the person in front of him was really still Feliciano. He then saw one single tear roll down his cheek, the tear shining with white light also. _"I-it's okay, Ludwig. I…I remember everything now. Even the things before the Disaster." _Feliciano's gaze momentarily wandered around, as images flashed in front of his eyes._ "The cities, the animals, the food, that wonderful food, the sweets…the people. My grandpa. I remember Europe, and all its countries. I saw Paris, London, Madrid, and even Oslo. That's far away, you know? And boy, if it's cold up there! Oh, and I saw Berlin too…it's such a nice city. And of course, my dear Italy with all its monuments… Trieste, Milan, Pisa, Rome, Naples, Sicily, Sardinia…Oh, and Florence, and Venice, of course! Have you ever seen Venice, Ludwig?"_

The German, tried to swallow, but his throat was too dry. The strange god-calmness was gone, this was his Feliciano again, the silly boy that loved cats and pasta. The boy he had grown to be so fond of. He shook his head. **"It doesn't matter right now, Feli, listen-"**

"_Too bad, Venice is a wonderful city, even with all the tourists…It's so…It's so sad that everything and everyone's just gone. But if I had the chance of giving that wonderful world back to you…to all of you…then I'd gladly do it."_

"**No, Feliciano! You…you're accepting your death?! You shouldn't be like this! So serene, in the face of death itself! A-an old man lying in his bed could say that, not you!" **Ludwig shouted, grabbing both of Feliciano's shoulders and shaking them, trying to knock some sense into him. The Italian felt burning hot under his palms and his eyes hurt because of the brightness, but he didn't let go.

Feliciano smiled, shaking his head. More white tears were running down his cheeks now, shining brightly.

Many others joined the rant, trying to convince the Italian not to do whatever he was planning to do. They started running to him, but they crashed into that invisible wall of Feliciano's bubble, which somehow had expanded until a ten meter radius, leaving Ludwig, Feliciano and Ivan inside. Many exclaimed in surprise at the sudden strange apparition, but then they resumed yelling the Italian's name, trying to convince him to stop.

"Feliciano-kun, don't! Please!" Kiku tried reasoning, pressing his palms against the wall.

"**Stop, Feli! Whatever it is you are planning to do, stop!" **Antonio exclaimed, shaking his head furiously, eyes wide.

"**Feliciano, stop this at once!" **Lukas yelled, his pokerface gone completely.

"Feli, don't do anything stupid! That is my job!" Mathias shouted, banging his fists against the wall.

"**Yeah, mine too! So don't go around and steal our awesome jobs as if you owned the place! Lutz, say something!"** Gilbert joined the Dane.

"Dude! You're stealing _my_ job as well! I-I-I-I'm supposed to be the hero!" Alfred cried with a failed attempt at humour.

"_Would you let __me__ live rather than your own brother, Alfred!?" _Feliciano suddenly exclaimed. _"Matthew is __dying__ there, or have you already forgotten about him again?!" _

Alfred fell silent, looking sideways with wide eyes at his twin, as did Lukas, glancing towards Emil. Berwald worriedly looked over at Tino, and Antonio and Romano at Bella.

"_And just look at yourselves! You are all becoming REDs with every passing second! But… I can stop this, a-and I will."_

"Feliciano…" Arthur, Yao and Berwald murmured, placing their hands against the wall.

"…**You…you don't have to do this…"** Francis murmured, the ghost of a smile on his face.

"Feliciano! You fucking asshole! D-don't you dare_…Don't you dare leave me alone again!_" Romano snarled, hitting the wall harder than any of the others, but he was also crying more than anyone else.

Feliciano smiled weakly, more and more tears falling. He tried to keep a straight face while smiling through the tears, but his lips trembled. _"I-I'm so glad…that with m-my small sacrifice, you will all be ok."_

"**Are you even listening to me?! To us!?" **Ludwig yelled, shaking him even more. Feliciano freed himself from his grip, showing he was much more stronger than he appeared to be, and took a few steps back, towards Ivan. The Sentient was standing with his back against the wall, trapped.

"_It's been fun knowing you all. Really! You all made me s-so h-happy…that I couldn't possibly be able to express it all in words…!"_

"**Feliciano, no!" **Ludwig tried again to stop him by gripping his shoulders, and again the Italian freed himself apparently without any effort, shaking his head.

"_You don't understand, Ludwig! With my small sacrifice, thousands more will be saved! Would you rather let them die, or let them all stay like Nightmares or REDs, because you want to save me?! Think about it! What would you choose?" _

Ludwig grimaced, feeling the tears rolling down his cheeks. **"I…I-I don't **_**want**_** to choose! Not you, Feliciano! Don't do it!" **Oh God, he sounded like a spoiled child. Was he being selfish, not wanting for Feliciano to die so thousands of others could be saved? It did sound like it.

"_Ludd, promise me you'll go and see Venice, okay? It's always been my favourite city."_

Ludwig's vision was blurred because of the tears he couldn't restrain anymore. **"I-I…" **he croaked.

"_Promise me."_ Feliciano insisted, their eyes locked with a bond that almost seemed electric.

Ludwig bowed his head, finally accepting he couldn't do anything to stop him anymore. **"**_**J-ja…**_**"**

Feliciano smiled broadly, beaming as if he had just received the most wonderful gift on the morning of his birthday.

He looked at everyone there. Ivan's sisters, whom he barely knew, lying on the ground and looking confused. Matthew, Emil, Bella and Tino, moments from being consumed by the infection. And then all the others. He took a moment to have a good look at them. Their faces were all covered in dirt, dust, sweat and blood. Their hair was a mess, their glasses were broken or askew on their faces, not counting the fact that most of them had a RED mask, or scales starting to form it. And what about their clothes? Dirty, tattered, burnt and grimy. Alfred, Gilbert, Francis, Lukas, Mathias, Berwald, Arthur, Yao, Antonio, Kiku, and, of course, his big brother Romano, standing outside the bubble. He was shouting incoherent words and curses, still desperately banging his fists against the wall and crying. It would be more difficult for him, to lose a brother yet again. Feliciano now knew himself how it felt to lose a brother, after the night on which Antonio attacked, even if Romano later had turned out not to be dead. He really didn't want to hurt his brother anymore like that. But he had to do this. And…and he knew that his big brother was strong. He would pull through.

And then of course, Ludwig, not able to speak coherently anymore, begging him with his eyes not to do it. He weakly smiled, hoping that he would understand everything was going to be alright. He hoped everyone would understand, with that single glance.

He didn't dare to talk anymore, because he knew his voice would probably break if he did. So he smiled. Everything would be alright. Then he turned around, walking yet again towards Ivan.

Ivan scowled, as the Italian approached him. He pressed himself more and more against the wall, as if he could simply merge with it and disappear. **"Oh, how very **_**touching**_**. Do you even know what you're about to do? How are you supposed to save everyone here by simply getting me, huh?!" **he spat, head turned sideways but looking at the Italian.

Feliciano raised his right hand while stepping closer. The white on his right hand was so bright it almost hurt to look at it. He did his best not to make his voice break. _"…Honestly, I do not know how. But what I do know is… it will work."_

He smiled again.

The Sentient tried to say something else to delay his downfall, but before he could say anything, Feliciano's hand made contact with his chest, and if possible, the light shone even brighter.

The chest armour cracked, letting the light seep in. Every joint in the armour shone with light coming from within, and Ivan's eyes also started to shine, as did his mouth and nostrils. He started screaming, first distortedly, and then more and more with a normal voice. The black armour cracked further and further, light seeping through from the cracks, showing what was destroying it from within. Finally, the light came to its climax, and the black armour shattered, disintegrating into shining dust. There was an explosion of light, and small white shards flew everywhere. These shards sped towards the people in the room, embedding themselves in their foreheads or chests, and instantly whatever scale or armour that had been on their body disintegrated into shiny dust as well. Ludwig was hit in his chest, and his armour shattered instantly. The shard was warm, and that warmth spread through his whole body. He felt lighter, warmer…happier…

Everyone else in the room was experiencing the same thing. The black coils still present disintegrated as soon as Ivan's armour was gone, and Katyusha and Natalya were freed along with Matthew, Tino, Bella and Emil. These last four were also hit each by a shard, and suddenly they all could breathe again, the poison in their system disappearing.

"Feliciano…" Tino whispered, breathless, warmth blooming into him.

Everyone was staring at the source of the bright light in the room. Ivan was still standing, still with that brightness shining from his eyes and mouth. After another handful of seconds, the light in him disappeared, and his knees buckled under him, eyes rolling back into his skull and the big frame of the Russian crumpling to the floor.

There was a white column of light now where Feliciano had been standing earlier, the Italian's silhouette barely visible through the brightness. The column's light pulsed once and reached the ceiling, breaking through it creating a hole. The column could now reach for the outside, the white light contrasting with the orange sky of the setting sun. A deep rumbling noise filled their ears and heads, but nothing was crumbling. It was the noise produced by the sheer amount of energy in that column, which was so much that the floor cracked for the umpteenth time. The top of said column grew until it reached over the ceiling of the room, outside. Then it exploded like some kind of firework, and hundreds, no, thousands of shiny bright shards flew as fast as bullets in every direction.

The pillar of light pulsed again, and again a firework, and again thousands of shards flying in every direction. In the meantime, at the base of the column, a powerful whirlwind brushed past the people in the room, making most of them fall. The pillar pulsed four other times, and with every pulse the number of light shards would decrease steadily, while the whirlwinds' force remained unchanged.

Ludwig finally recollected himself, and ran against the whirlwinds and towards the base of the column, feeling the warmth and the energy originating from it.

"FELICIANO!" he shouted over the rumbling noise and whirling wind that that sheer amount of energy produced. He could still barely see the Italian's silhouette at the base, but he could not get closer.

* * *

In the meantime, the Nightmares around the old town hall were startled by the sudden bright appearance. There was an explosion that resembled that of a firework, which echoed through the city. Then, thousands of tiny shards flew in every direction. Dozens flew towards the Nightmares surrounding the building and occupying the city. As if warned by some kind of instinct, the black monsters hurried away, looking for some place to hide, scared of those strange flying objects. But the shards were as fast as bullets, and not a single one of them missed the target. All of those shards embedded themselves right between the eyes of the Nightmares or in their chests, the light escalating in brightness in a matter of moments and then shattering the black armour instantly. Each Nightmare revealed something new. A bird, a dog, a mouse, a horse, a squirrel, a man or a woman. Even the lion Nightmare that had been 'tamed' by Natalya blinked, stunned. The animals were mostly shaking their heads, looking confused and disoriented, but nonetheless feeling good again. Dogs started wagging their tails, birds started chirping and flying about, horses flared their nostrils, whinnied and jumped with their powerful legs. The humans were first staring at their hands and at each other unbelieving, and then at the bright white pillar which exploded yet again, sending more and more shards to the world.

* * *

Finally, the column pulsed one last time, triggering the last firework and sending the last few shards flying to God knows where, and the light slowly but steadily started decreasing. Then, everything abruptly disappeared. The light pillar, the rumbling nose, the wind… leaving Feliciano, floating with the tip of his feet a few centimetres above the ground.

Ludwig ran towards him, catching him just in time before that strange anti-gravity effect wore off. He caught him bridal style, but he was so exhausted he couldn't keep standing, falling painfully on his knees and losing the grip on the lower half of the Italian's body. He had one arm draped around Feliciano's back, sustaining his upper body, while the other hand went to cup his chin.

"Feliciano…" he barely managed to utter. The Italian felt so warm, too warm, as if he had all that energy still in him…

He gasped as Feliciano looked up at him through half-lidded eyes. His hazel orbs looked right into his icy blue ones. They were that wonderful brown and golden colour again, they weren't altered by that blinding light…He was alive…! They both smiled, tears yet again rolling down their cheeks. Ludwig felt the strangest urge to laugh. Laugh at it all, because it was finally over. They had won! He didn't die…!

But the hope already blooming in Ludwig's chest that it all could be over, was trampled over like a newborn flower. The tears streaking Feliciano's face were still bright and shining white, even if his eyes weren't.

Realisation struck him harder than anything he thought possible. It wasn't over. Not yet. "…No…nonononono…" He sobbed, hugging him closer, not ever wanting to let go. "No, no… don't go! No!"

He felt Feliciano smile in his tattered shirt. "Ve…It's…it's okay Ludd…take care, okay?…We'll see each other in V-Venice again, right?" his hand grabbed tightly the fabric of the German's shirt.

"No, don't-" Ludwig croaked.

Feliciano pushed him away a little, so he could look at his face. The small Italian smiled.

"…Right?"

Feliciano's body stiffened. Then, suddenly, it shone white all over, and shattered between his arms, turning into a hundred more shards. The shiny shards flew up towards the orange sky through the hole, and flew in every direction, like all the others prior to them.

Ludwig was staring at those shards, and when they were gone, he kept staring at the slowly darkening sky. He sat there frozen, not physically or mentally able to move. He didn't even care about the others anymore. He had heard some cheering, and then crying. Someone was shouting something. Other people were sobbing. And did he hear more cheers, coming from outside and echoing through the corridor? Were those barks, and birds chirping and tweeting?

He didn't care anymore. Another tear rolled down his right cheek.

He suddenly felt something soft in his hand. He frowned and slowly, _slowly_ moved his head down to look at the little object resting in his palm.

A small daisy.

Was he imagining things, or was one of the petals all curled up…?

Someone fell heavily beside him, startling him a little.

It was Romano. His eyes were puffy and red, and he was still crying. He hiccupped and sniffed, and slowly brought a hand down on his palm, covering the daisy and being careful not to crush any of its petals.

Ludwig didn't protest or move away. He was too shocked to even think straight.

Romano took a deep shaky breath, and started singing. It wasn't sung perfectly, as the song was often interrupted by sobs or hiccups, but it was nonetheless a beautiful song. And even if Ludwig didn't know any Italian, he knew Romano wasn't singing it because of pure chance.

"_B-buonanotte, buonanotte amore mio.__  
__Buonanotte tra il t-telefono e il cielo.__  
__Ti ringrazio per avermi stupito,__  
__per avermi giurato che è v-vero.__  
__Il granturco nei campi è maturo,__  
__ed ho tanto bisogno di te.__  
__La coperta è gelata e l'estate è finita…__  
__B-buonanotte, questa notte è per te._

_.  
__Buonanotte, buonanotte fiorellino.__  
__Buonanotte tra le stelle e la stanza.__  
__Per sognarti devo averti v-vicino,__  
__e vicino non…è ancora abbastanza…__  
__Ora un raggio di sole si è fermato,__  
__proprio sopra il mio biglietto scaduto…__  
__Tra i tuoi fiocchi di neve__…__e le tue f-f-foglie di tè…__  
__Buonanotte… questa notte è…per te._

_.  
__Buonanotte…buonanotte…m-monetina…__  
__Buonanotte tra il mare__…e-__e la pioggia.__  
__L-la tristezza…passerà…domattina…_

_e l'anello…resterà s-sulla spiaggia…!__  
__Gli uccellini…nel vento…non si fanno m-mai m-male…__  
__hanno a-ali…più grandi…d-d-di me…__  
__E-e dall'alba…al tramonto…sono soli…nel sole…__  
__Buonanotte…__  
q-__questa notte è-è… p-per te."_

As soon as Romano had finished the song, everyone was standing around the two of them, silent. Some were crying openly, others were sobbing but keeping a straight face, others somehow had managed not to cry. There were also people Ludwig had never seen before in his life, which were kind of looking confused. But he couldn't care less at the moment. The sun, somewhere, finally sunk behind the horizon, the night finally enveloping the sky.

"T-take care of my f-f-f-fucking little brother, y-you hear me…?!" Romano scowled between the tears. The older Italian tried to swallow, failed, and closed with both hands the German's fingers tenderly around the daisy. "_B-buonanotte, fratellino._"

That was too much for him to take. Ludwig's self-control shattered. He collapsed. He vaguely heard himself screaming, but it felt far away, as if it were a dream.

The only thing that filled his mind that moment was one, single, simple image. Feliciano smiling, offering him a daisy.

* * *

All around the world, cheers and parties erupted through the survivors of humanity and the newly saved people. Victory cries and amazed shouts filled the air up until the stars. Families and friends embraced each other, crying out of joy. Hypnotized, people listened to the tunes sung by daily birds that filled the night. Music could be heard in many places, played by experienced and calloused hands or fuelled by powerful lungs, the wind carrying the notes for kilometres over the plains until it echoed through the concrete walls of the cities.

That night, many had felt the energy in the air shaking their bones. Everyone had seen the shards flying through the sky. Many had even whispered wishes, thinking they were shooting stars. Others said it had been a miracle. Everyone had seen the end of the black monsters.

But only a selected few actually knew what those shining white shards truly were.

Nonetheless, everyone stared at the sky that night. Many bonfires were lit, and people danced around them, laughing and singing.

The Apocalypse of the Nightmares had ended. Or, as many already were calling it, the Nightmare Apocalypse.

And they had survived.

That night was a new night, and it was the dawn of a new world.

* * *

_**Goodnight, everybody.**_

_**Buonanotte, fratellino :**__ (italian) Goodnight, little brother._

...

**_Buonanotte, buonanotte, amore mio. _**_(Goodnight, goodnight, my love)_**_  
Buonanotte tra il telefono e il cielo. _**_(Goodnight between the phone and the sky)_**_  
Ti ringrazio per avermi stupito, _**_(Thank you for having amazed me)_**_  
per avermi giurato che è vero. _**_(For having sweared it was true)_**_  
Il granturco nei campi è maturo, _**_(The sweet corn in the fields is ripe)_**_  
ed ho tanto bisogno di te. _**_(And i really need you)_**_  
La coperta è gelata e l'estate è finita… _**_(The blanket is cold and the summer is over)_**_  
Buonanotte, questa notte è per te._**_ (Goodnight, this night is for you)_

**_Buonanotte, buonanotte, fiorellino. _**_(Goodnight, goodnight little flower)_**_  
Buonanotte tra le stelle e la stanza. _**_(Goodnight between the stars and the room)_**_  
Per sognarti devo averti vicino, _**_(To dream of you I need you close)_**_  
e vicino non è ancora abbastanza._**_ (And close is still not enough)_**_  
Ora un raggio di sole si è fermato,_**_ (Now a sun ray has stopped)_**_  
proprio sopra il mio biglietto scaduto. _**_(Right on my expired ticket)_**_  
Tra i tuoi fiocchi di neve e le tue foglie di tè… _**_(Between your snowflakes and your tealeaves)_**_  
Buonanotte, questa notte è per te. _**_(Goodnight, this night is for you)_

**_Buonanotte, buonanotte, monetina. _**_(Goodnight, goodnight, little coin)_**_  
Buonanotte tra il mare e la pioggia. _**_(Goodnight between the sea and the rain)_**_  
La tristezza passerà domattina, _**_(The sadness will be over tomorrow morning)_**_  
e l'anello resterà sulla spiaggia…! _**_(And the ring will rest on the beach)_**_  
Gli uccellini nel vento non si fanno mai male,_**_ (Little birds never hurt themselves in the wind)_**_  
hanno ali più grandi di me…! _**_(They have wings bigger than me)_**_  
E dall'alba al tramonto sono soli nel sole… _**_(And from the dawn to the sunset they are alone in the sun)_**_  
Buonanotte,  
questa notte è per te. _**_(Goodnight, this night is for you)_


	35. Dawn - Epilogue

**Ciao everybody! How are you all?**

**Thanks for the answers about the 4th of July! Fireworks everywhere... You Americans really like explosions, don't you? X)**

**(I noticed that somewhere between chapter 28 and 29 I lost track of Gatto... oh well, let's just do as if nothing happened, hm? Maybe one day I will correct it, but now I'm too lazy for that)**

**Warning: Long rant at end of chapter!  
Anyway, here is the Epilogue.**

**Sit back, und ENJOY.**

* * *

**EPILOGUE**

* * *

A year had passed from that night.

One whole year.

People had been overjoyed, almost not believing that it had truly ended. Not a single trace could be found of the Nightmares anymore, as if they had never existed. As if they had imagined it all. As if it all had been a dream. Or rather, a nightmare.

But he knew it had been real. Everyone knew it.

People had started living in the cities again, rebuilding homes for themselves or helping others. Money had all lost its value for the moment, they simply traded goods for gold or by offering their help for something. Antonio somehow had a whole load of the precious metal, as well as many jewels and other precious stuff. But that wasn't always needed. Actually, many didn't even want or needed to be 'paid', because everyone was helping each other out spontaneously. The Apocalypse had somehow changed the people's attitude, and everybody was simply feeling grateful they had survived.

Even some transports had started functioning again after a couple of weeks. Pilots started flying small planes again, transporting people from one continent or state to the other so they could return home. Surviving ships had captains again, as well as crews and passengers. Of course, fuel was not easy to find, and the amount they had was preferably used for the planes and ships. So on the land, people would use bicycles, trains, horses or even some old carriages.

Slowly but steadily, things started working again. Electricity started flowing in the cities once more, as well as water, and crops were being grown in farms… Houses were rebuilt, whole cities stood straight again, the streets were cleared of the rubble and even some subways started functioning again.

After…after that night, after the collective _shock_ of that night, they had all stayed there and helped the people rebuilding their lives. But after a couple of weeks, as the planes and ships started functioning and working again, many had expressed their wish of returning to their homes. Some because they were homesick and nostalgic of the familiar landscapes they had grown with, others because they still had relatives or friends somewhere they needed to find, let them be parents, cousins, nephews or even brothers. But the odyssey they had went through had bonded them farther than anything, and they all had promised they would meet again after precisely one year in one specific place. Nobody had dared to talk about… about _him_. Not in front of him or Romano, anyway. No one had taken _his _death in a good way, no one had thought _his _death had been just, no one had been struck as heavily as he and the older Italian. Nobody dared to touch the argument, an unspoken taboo had been laid upon _his_ name, as well as any other term that might be connected to _him_.

Anyway, Alfred and Matthew didn't need to go all that far. They were in America, after all. He still didn't understand how the twins could have two different nationalities, Alfred being American and Matthew Canadian, but he didn't ask. After all, Lukas and Emil had that too, the one being Norwegian and the other Icelandic. Bizarre.

Kiku and Yao had to go on quite the long trip, and they couldn't decide whether to go to Japan or to China first. They decided to go the Nipponese island first, and then to China to find Yao's other two lost brothers and one sister. Apparently, not a single one was actually related to the Chinese, or even to Kiku. But they had all somehow ended up together and become united as a family, Yao considering himself the older and wiser brother.

Everyone else had to go to Europe, so they had all jumped onto the same ship.

When they had arrived in Spain, Antonio had left the group, saying he had some friends to find and help. But after that, he would leave and join Romano, wherever he would go. Obviously, this resulted into one of Romano's angry cursing fits, saying the Spaniard was a (fucking) creeper if he wanted to (fucking) follow him around. The Spaniard had simply laughed.

They then all had hopped onto a train, and arrived in France, where Francis and Arthur stopped. In the north of the country the Brit would most probably find a boat heading for his home.

The newly restored train line stopped somewhere near the border with Germany, and they all had got onto carriages. On one of them went Bella, along with the Scandinavian group: Mathias, Tino, Berwald, Lukas and Emil. Bella would stop in Belgium and then go looking for her brother, whom she was certain to find somewhere in the Netherlands. Then the rest would head for Denmark, where Mathias would stop and where Berwald, Tino, Lukas and Emil would take a boat for their respective countries. Emil had to go the farthest, but would be accompanied by the Norwegian.

The others had headed for the east, except Romano who had taken a horse and gone south, towards Italy. Someone had offered to accompany him, but he had simply started cursing and swearing, affirming he didn't need a (fucking) babysitter just to go to (fucking) Italy.

So he was left on the other carriage, together with Gilbert, Natalya, Katyusha and Ivan. Everyone had been wary towards the Russian at first, remembering all too well what he had done and said. But it turned out that Ivan was actually a nice person. Sometimes creepy, yes, but altogether… nice. The Russian had apologized multiple times, and worked harder than anyone else while helping the people rebuild their homes, back in America. The ex-Nightmare was obviously carrying more guilt than anyone else there, but he didn't show it. He would wake up screaming sometimes during the nights, but for the rest he didn't show much.

Ivan's smile still unsettled him though, making him relive moments he didn't want to remember, but he didn't say anything. He didn't tell anyone that that smile and those violet eyes haunted his dreams still. Many seemed to have already forgiven him, even the hot-headed albino, after understanding that it was the infection's fault that the Russian had become completely crazy. Natalya and Katyusha had told them what had happened on the night of the Disaster, so they had learnt that Ivan, Katyusha and Alfred had worked for the nuclear plant that had been the cause of everything. Nobody knew whose fault it had been that the electric system had shut down, along with the cooling system. Nobody knew if there even _was_ a culprit to blame for it all. The thing was, it had happened. Alfred had gone to America to visit his brother, and Katyusha, alone, had tried stopping the imminent Disaster from happening. She couldn't possibly succeed, but she had tried anyway, and she would have been locked in the plant if Ivan hadn't showed up and dragged her away. Ivan so had saved Katyusha, however ha had ended up being locked himself in the building.

"That night I had already become a Nightmare, even if I didn't know it." The Russian had said, tugging nervously at his tattered scarf and avoiding the stares of the others.

They had arrived in Berlin, and separated. Katyusha, Natalya and Ivan would carry on, stopping in Ukraine, Belarus and then finally arriving in Russia.

He and Gilbert had stayed in the German capital, where they had lived before the Disaster.

More months had passed, and they had helped the population rebuilding everything. It had been hard and difficult work, but everyone was giving a hand, and soon the city had been liveable again.

Gilbert one day even had come home with the broadest grin he had ever seen. He had asked why he was so happy, but then he had seen it for himself, as Gilbert had held up two brown bottles. The albino had found beer. Only two, but that was more than they had seen in years. Gilbert had chugged down the golden liquid of his share in seconds, gulping loudly, smacking his lips and then letting out a satisfied burp.

He had shaken his head, the ghost of a smile on his face. There was Gilbert again, acting like old times. No, actually, it was doomed to be even worse, because he had found two new big buddies, Antonio and Francis, who were just as immature. The trio was sure to give him a lot of headaches once they got together again. He had glanced at his beer. He had slowly drunk it, savouring the smooth taste and ignoring his brother's pleading eyes, begging him for a sip.

The months had slowly crept by, and even if he and Gilbert never even once had spoken _his _name, somehow the story of what had happened that night spread throughout Europe, possibly the world.

The story presented itself in various different versions, the actual facts obviously exaggerated, missing or changed as they passed throughout the people. For example, no one really knew what those flying shards had been. There were many theories, going from magic, to spirits, to aliens, science-fiction technology or even angels. Sometimes the tale would be shaped as a legend, a myth, a poem, a song, or even as a bedtime story for children. But everyone knew and spoke that name. _His_ name.

The legendary saviour of them all. The martyr. The hero. The man without any fear who had saved them all.

But he knew the truth. _He_ hadn't been anything like that. _He_ had been a hero, yes, but _he_ had also been a sweet, a bit dumb, pasta loving Italian boy.

People started making monuments in _his_ honour. First by placing simple bronze or brass plates beneath an old obelisk or something as simple as that, that already existed before.

But then they started _making_ stone, marble or bronze statues for _him_. Not one of them showed the Italian himself, but most representations showed a world, embraced by a faceless man or positioned so that his face would not be visible. After all, who could ever know the legendary Fel-…_ his _features?

Somehow, people had come to know that he and Gilbert had known _him_. And they would not stop asking. Writers, painters, journalists, sculptors… everyone wanted to hear their story, the true version of _his _story. Luckily while they were working, helping the Berliners, he and his brother would wear a cap so they could not be recognized too easily. But as soon as they had to head home, people would swarm around them, asking them tons of different questions. But even Gilbert had been smart enough to keep his mouth shut every time that happened.

And in this case, Gilbert had been stronger and 'more awesome' than him, he had to admit it.

He had not been able to bear hearing them anymore.

He had fled from the city.

Gilbert had tried stopping him, but he obviously had not listened. He had jumped on the first train he had seen and gone away.

This had proven to be quite the stupid action. Since he hadn't checked the train's destination, he had found himself lost somewhere in Austria. Then in his haste and carelessness he had jumped onto the wrong train _again_ and found himself in Switzerland this time. This wasn't like him, he would never get lost anywhere, let alone in the European countries he knew so well. However, he had then found the train heading for the place he was looking for, and finally got to his destination.

Italy.

* * *

His steps on the stone floors echoed through the tall walls of the small alleys as he walked. The sun hadn't even come up yet, the people were still asleep, the sky was a mix of violet, orange and pink. A couple of lonely stars still twinkled, and they seemed to be winking at him.

The city had miraculously survived the Apocalypse. Even during or after the Apocalypse it had not sunk into oblivion. Not even that many buildings had been destroyed, as if the Nightmares had had some kind of respect for it. The people had most probably fled from the city on boats, so actually the Nightmares hadn't had even that much to look for or to destroy.

It must not have been too different from how _he_ had remembered it. Well, the number of tourists had probably considerably thinned, but still.

He stopped on one of the hundreds of bridges and took a deep breath, smelling the salty air coming from the sea.

Venice.

Fel-…_ He _had been right. It truly was a wonderful city. Every house had its story, every bridge, every church, every street and tower and boat. It was so different from anything he had ever seen.

He slowly resumed walking again. He caressed his chest absentmindedly, where his jacket had a hidden pocket. A smooth bulge was there, of the small metal box he had put the daisy in.

Somehow, the flower had refused to wilt even after a whole year. It hadn't even lost a single petal since that day. It was the only thing he had left of _him_. He didn't have a photograph, a picture, a drawing… nothing else but the flower. He kept it close to himself at all times, it reminded him so much of _him_. Even the curled up petal looked like the bizarre curl _he_ had had. He would hold it in his hands whenever he didn't have to work on something. But at night the daisy had posed a problem: the flower's petals and stem would occasionally shine faintly in the dark with…with that light. It was faint, but it was the same light that had brought _him_ away. He didn't want to see it, not in the dark, not while he was alone in his bed. Memories would show up in his mind again, and not the ones he wanted to cherish. Gilbert had luckily found an old metallic lighter case and given it to him, so he could put the flower away. He would still have it with him at all times in that pocket, but at least he did not have to look at that white light again.

He got on the deserted San Marco plaza, and saw it was exactly how he had read it in the manual. He would always inform himself of the place he was going to first, and this time had obviously not been an exception.

The strange 'L' shape of the plaza, the San Marco cathedral with its shiny white domes, the Ducal Palace, the gondolas, the columns with the lion and the angel, the bell tower. That tower had an interesting story, as well as all the other buildings of course. One day, somewhere during the twentieth century, it had abruptly collapsed on itself, after more than four centuries and with no apparent reason at all. Curiously so, there had been only one victim: a cat. He smiled. _He _would probably have cried immediately if he had told _him_ that, exclaiming "Oh no, poor kitty cat!" or something along those lines. Anyway, the Venetians loved their plaza so much they had rebuilt the tower in the exact same place, resulting in a perfect copy of the collapsed one.

No one had dared to add or take something away from the plaza for centuries. The Venetians loved it this way. Only Napoleon had dared taking a bronze statue of four horses away from the cathedral. However after the emperor's death the pissed off Italians had immediately taken it back, placing it in its original position again, probably after giving the Parisians a good scold.

So the plaza had remained unaltered for centuries. Nothing had changed, nor had ever been wanted to be changed.

That was, apparently, until then.

His eyes widened in shock as his gaze locked onto the new monument standing in the plaza. A big, four meter tall bronze statue onto a dark marble pedestal had been positioned almost in the centre of the wide space.

If Ludwig had dared stepping any closer, he would surely have been able to read what had been written on the pedestal with elegant golden letters. But all he saw was the statue's face.

_His_ face.

Feliciano.

A smiling Feliciano.

Ludwig blinked several times, thinking he was probably dreaming. His vision blurred for a second, and he felt his eyes sting. He blinked the blurriness away furiously. He probably had a bug in his eye or something.

He could not believe this. He had kind of come to accept the fact that he didn't even have a picture of the Italian, and had always focused on remembering his face. He had been determined not to ever forget his features. Seeing the statue's face, a perfect copy of the real Feliciano, so suddenly, without any kind of warning… had surprised him, to say the least.

As he slowly stepped closer with awe, he saw that every tiny particular of the statue was exactly right. His laugh was exactly the same, his eyes the same shape, as were all the other features of his face. His…his hair even had a bizarre, wayward curl sticking out from his left side. He saw the boots, the trousers and the shirt he had died in. Then there was even the staff at his feet, with a flag tied to it. He smiled without realizing it, remembering how Feliciano had wanted several times to knot a white cloth to the staff so it would be a white surrendering flag. The bronze cloth however had stripes on it, meaning it was a _real_ flag. Most probably the Italian flag. The Statue was positioned so that Feliciano was taking a step forward, and his arm was stretched out to the observer, holding something in his fingers. It was a small bronze daisy.

Ludwig let out a dry sob, but he would not cry. Oh no. He had stopped crying long ago. He bowed his head, and saw the golden letters at the statue's feet.

_- Feliciano Veneziano Vargas -_

_Loved son,_

_grandson, _

_brother _

_and friend._

_Hero of the Nightmare Apocalypse._

_Let his sacrifice never be forgotten._

_7__th __of March, 1991 - 25__th__ of April, 20XX _

_Buonanotte, fiorellino._

Then there were many names engraved under that.

_- Beilschmidt, Gilbert - Germany_

_- Beilschmidt, Ludwig - Germany_

_- Bondevik, Lukas - Norway_

_- Bonnefoy, Francis - France_

_- Braginski, Ivan - Russia_

_- Fernandez Carriedo, Antonio - Spain_

_- Honda, Kiku - Japan_

_- Jansen, Bella - Belgium_

_- Jones, Alfred - U.S.A._

_- Kirkland, Arthur - United Kingdom_

_- Khøler, Mathias - Denmark_

_- Oxenstierna, Berwald - Sweden_

_- Steilsson, Emil - Iceland_

_- Vänämoimën, Tino - Finland_

_- Vargas, Romano - Italy_

_- Wang, Yao - China_

_- Williams, Matthew - Canada_

He was still staring at the names, mouth slightly opened, when he felt a presence near him.

"I knew you would end up here eventually, Potato. But seriously, a whole year? I honestly expected you'd be here sooner."

Ludwig didn't even need to look up to know whom that grumbling voice belonged to. But he turned nonetheless. Romano was standing beside him, back straight and arms folded on his chest. He wasn't looking at him, his eyes were locked on Feliciano's bronze features. He hadn't changed much in a year. His signature scowl was still on his face, but it somehow looked… less fierce than usual.

"At least you kept your promise. And I made sure that he would as well." The Italian grumbled.

Ludwig noticed something that made his heart skip a beat.

The statue's bronze eyes were looking right at him.

A voice echoed in his mind, coming from a distant memory.

"_We'll see each other in Venice again…right?"_

"…You did this?" He whispered, his voice barely audible.

"…_Right?"_

Romano snorted. "Who else?"

Of course. Who could have possibly described Feliciano so perfectly to the sculptor? Maybe the sculptor had even had a reference…Romano himself. After all, the two brothers really did look alike. But to think that Romano would do something like this for him… it was not a coincidence that the statue's eyes were looking at him. The older Italian had somehow managed to arrange that for him… well maybe not for him exactly. He knew Romano had never really liked him, he probably had done it for Feliciano. Under all those layers of toughness and rudeness, Romano really was a loving brother.

There was one thing he didn't understand, though. "Why all the names?"

Romano did not answer immediately. "…I thought it could be a good example. You know, of teamwork and all of that sappy bullshit, even if we all were from different countries. Actually, that was Antonio's idea, so blame that moron instead if you want to. Before you ask, Ivan didn't even want to be mentioned, seeing he was…" he paused. "…the main cause of it all. Not of the Disaster, but of…you know. But I didn't care. Feliciano saved his Russian icicled ass as well. I didn't know about the sisters, but they kindly fucking asked me not to put their names. They are ladies, so I didn't."

Ludwig slowly nodded, looking at the names still. The Russian had been so different after that night… he guessed he had always been like that. The infection could mess up a lot of screws in someone's head. He had felt it himself for less than an hour, and it hadn't even been the Nightmare kind of infection.

"Hey Kraut! Follow me."

The Italian interrupted his thoughts, and when he looked at him, he was already out of the plaza, in the shadows of an alley.

Romano bared his teeth. "The fuck are you standing there for? You got potatoes in your ears or something? Follow me, for fuck's sake!"

Ludwig swiftly obeyed, not having the faintest idea of what the other was planning. Before leaving the plaza however, he looked back at the statue. It was still there, and it was still smiling.

He hurriedly turned away an followed the bad-tempered man through the city.

* * *

"…Where are we going?"

They had taken two horses and headed for the mainland. Ludwig worriedly looked behind his shoulder, seeing Venice shrink away further and further with every step of the animal. It was almost dawn, and the sky was slowly turning light blue, mixed with a yellow and pink line of the horizon of the sea.

"Shut up and follow me, 'kay? I'm not doing this for you, let that be clear. I'm doing it for him."

Well, Ludwig already knew _that_.

They took a turn from the main street and started walking in the grass, where no path could be seen. He dearly hoped the Italian had a fairly good idea of their surroundings, because he certainly would get lost here. The plain grass was soon followed by a green forest. The morning wind was waking up, and brushing past them it made the trees around them whisper. After half an hour or so, they were suddenly on the side of a hill, and they started walking to the top, not saying a word.

At some point, Romano abruptly stopped the horse, tugging its reins.

"Get off the damn horse. We're walking now."

Ludwig cocked an eyebrow, but then followed the order. They tied the horses' reins to a tree branch and started walking to the top of the hill. It wasn't really that high, but the morning grass was a bit slippery of the dew, so they soon were out of breath. With every step the trees would become less and less, leaving space to bushes, and then only grass. Ludwig saw the top of the hill now. Was that a tree up there?

Finally, they were on top of the hill. Ludwig closed his eyes for a few seconds, heavily breathing in the chilly morning air. Climbing the hill had been more tiring than he had thought. He then took a deep breath, and opened his eyes.

There was indeed a tree there. An olive tree, to be exact. It looked old, the main trunk being so dark it almost looked black, and the oldest and thickest branches looking like thick, knotted ropes. The tree wasn't really tall, because the long branches stretched far, but mostly in a horizontal direction. During a hot day it would probably create a wonderful wide shadow. The silvery leaves seemed almost metallic in the strange light before dawn, and they trembled a little, almost shivering in the cold morning breeze that was playing with them.

All around their feet were daisies. So many you almost couldn't see the grass.

But the thing that caught Ludwig's eye was another thing. A rectangular stone plate, positioned almost between the knobbly dark roots of the tree.

Ludwig blinked. He had understood what it was, but… it didn't make sense. "What…"

"Look, I know there wasn't a fucking body, okay? I just thought it was necessary for…for us, dammit." Romano grumbled, leaning onto the thick tree trunk. "Something that wouldn't be in the middle of a fucking plaza. And after all, we… he always liked this place. You can see Venice from here. Our grandpa - whenever he wasn't around drinking or flirting or getting overexcited because of a roman statue - would take us here for picnics. Probably no one knows about this place."

Ludwig took some uncertain steps towards the tombstone. Because that's what it was. He slowly walked around it and felt his head swimming. As if he were dreaming. He got on one knee before it, and gingerly put a hand on top of the tomb. It was a simple white marble plate, there were no fancy engravings or even a picture. Only and a handful of dark letters, that composed two simple lines:

_- Feliciano Veneziano Vargas -_

_7__th__ of March, 1991 - 25__th__ of April 20XX_

"Romano…" He murmured, feeling something that felt like a tight knot in his throat. He glanced at the many daisies around the stone and the tree. Too many to be all wild. Someone must have planted them there… and he kind of had an idea of who that certain someone was. He knew it must not have been easy for the Italian to do this, and it probably must have been even more difficult to show it to him, of all people.

"Don't say a word or you'll ruin the moment. Now slowly, _slowly_ look to your right." Romano said, a small warning tone in his voice.

Ludwig frowned, but then looked to his right. If he hadn't been prepared, he would probably have had a heart attack.

It had been hidden from his view before because of the olive tree, but now that he was in front of the tombstone he could see it. A statue. _Another_ statue of a smiling Feliciano. A marble one this time, and it wasn't as big as the statue in the plaza.

He gingerly stood up again and walked in front of the statue. It was again a perfect replica of the Italian, but now even the height of him was right. It was somewhere around 1.75 m., and the small pedestal contributed to make it a bit taller, but altogether it was still smaller than the German. It wasn't smiling as broadly as the bronze statue in the plaza. A small but happy smile played on the statue's features, it was almost melancholic, while looking at Venice.

Ludwig felt his heart as if it were constricted by a cruel hand. "Feliciano…" He uttered. He closed his eyes tightly and bowed his head, teeth bared and fists clenched by his sides.

"Do…do you still have the flower?" Romano asked, slowly nearing him, the sound of his steps muffled by the all daisies around them. His voice wasn't as rude as before, he had spoken that single question softly, almost in a gentle way. Ludwig honestly had not thought it could be possible.

He nodded. Of course he still had the flower.

He slowly put a hand in the hidden pocket of his jacket, and took the lighter case out. His hand trembled as he held it in fingers. The case was warm, not only because it had stayed in the pocket, but also…because of the little energy warming it up from inside. The metallic case was never cold or even cool to the touch. It was always a bit warm. He guessed it was that light, that remaining energy, that had prevented the flower to wilt even after a whole year.

"Do you think…Do you think it's okay if I leave it here for him?" He asked, his voice barely more than a whisper, slowly turning the case between his fingers. Deep inside, he didn't really want to separate from the flower. After all, it was the only thing he had left of him. But it somehow seemed right to give it back to him.

"Of course. He'll love it." Romano said, for once in his life not scowling at the German.

Ludwig caressed the smooth surface of the case with a thumb, and then opened it. He turned the case upside down, and the flower softly landed in his palm. The daisy was warm, and Ludwig saw yet again a faint silvery pulse go through the stem of the flower. That same damned light. Romano's eyebrows shot up briefly, seeing that the daisy looked exactly the same, not having changed throughout a whole year, but he said nothing.

Ludwig took a deep shaky breath, and put it in the statue's right hand. The flower fit perfectly. It almost seemed as if it had always meant to be there. He felt less sad of separating with the flower, knowing it could rest there, in its perfect place. Feliciano's hand.

"Dry your tears, Potato. He's not coming back. Not this time." Romano stated dryly.

To his surprise, Ludwig was crying again. He furiously wiped the tears away, he took a deep breath and straightened his spine.

"Thanks for showing me this place, Romano. I really appreciate it." He said formally, his voice slightly shaking. But he wasn't lying. Romano didn't know how much this meant to him… or maybe, actually, he did. He knew it more than anyone else, probably.

"…Hmf."

"I'll come back soon. With flowers."

"They better not be roses or I swear I'll rip your throat open."

Ludwig managed to smile a little, however one more tear also managed to escape his eyes. "Of course. Of course."

There was a short pause, during which the two stared at the statue without saying a word. Then, Romano broke the silence. "Today is the day of the Rock Gang Reunion, remember?"

The German blinked, still looking at the statue. He had honestly kind of forgotten about it. "…Oh, yes. That's right."

Romano rolled his eyes. "You really do have potatoes instead of a brain in there. Move it, they'll be in Venice at eight, and it's seven already. See? It's almost dawn." He started walking away from the olive tree, back down the hill, towards the horses.

Ludwig shot one last glance at the smiling statue. He lightly caressed Feliciano's marble hand, whispered a quick "I'll be back soon. I promise." and then left, following Romano down the hill.

The sun finally showed up from the horizon.

The sunrays shone brightly on Venice's roofs and boats, it made the water shimmer like liquid gold. And they also shone on a certain hill on the mainland, where a certain marble statue was positioned, under an old olive tree and surrounded by daisies.

* * *

Resting in the marble hand, the daisy's petals trembled, almost shivering in the morning breeze.

A bright pulse of light ran through the whole flower. Then, a pause, the flower returned normal.

Another pulse. The flower started shining all over. The warm energy fizzled and crackled, cracking the marble hand. The crack spread out towards an arm, a shoulder, a torso, a face and to the rest of a body.

The flower shone even brighter, causing more cracks to appear. Then, the light seeped into the marble, making all the cracks shine from inside.

Then, it all stopped. The daisy stopped shining, ad rested, wilted and black, into the cracked marble palm. The breeze moved the brittle remains of the flower, and they disintegrated into ash that got carried away to the sea.

Nothing happened for a couple of seconds.

Then, suddenly, marble chinks started crumbling. Something inside the statue started moving. Fingers twitched, the stone becoming dust and falling around a pair of feet.

A head moved, a torso twisted, shoulders tensed up and jerked, legs shook, trying to free themselves from the marble cage faster. A step was taken, leaving marble chunks behind. Then another, and so both feet were off the pedestal, on the grass, surrounded by daisies.

A head shook, stone dust falling around the pair of feet. A pair of eyes fluttered open, and were filled by the rising sun's rays hitting Venice's roofs. The being observed the landscape in front of him, and then its right hand that still felt warm. Why was he actually looking at it? The hand looked perfectly normal, the skin smooth and soft, except for a faint scar that ran across the back of it

The being then scanned its surroundings. He saw two heads walking downhill not too far behind him.

One dark brown with a wayward curl to the right, the other with meticulously slicked back blond hair.

He gasped, and started running downhill as fast as his feet could carry him.

Some teardrops left his eyes, but if it was because of the cold wind prickling his eyes or the many emotions swelling up in his chest, he didn't know.

He had almost caught up to them. He shouted their names at the top of his lungs, right before tackling them down from behind.

"ROMANOOO! LUDWIIIIG!"

The sun finally detached itself from the sea and started the new day.

Sunrays found their way through tree leaves and grass, and shone at the foot of a hill. They shone onto three people that were rolling in the grass, laughing and crying at the same time, shouting incoherent sentences of amazement and joy.

And those same sunrays shone on light brown, almost copper hair. The strange thing was, sticking out of the left side of the head there was a wayward curl, that bobbed up and down with every sob and laugh.

Feliciano laughed like he had never laughed before. He laughed and laughed and _laughed_. He laughed while crying. He laughed while embracing his best friend and his brother. He laughed until his chest hurt. He laughed until he couldn't breathe anymore. He never wanted to stop. He wanted to laugh for the rest of his life!

This wasn't a nightmare anymore, because the time of the nightmares was over. This was a dream. A dream come true.

He was back. He was really back. He didn't know how, or why, but he was back. And for good, this time.

He embraced Romano and Ludwig yet again, never wanting to let go.

And laughed.

* * *

**THE END**

* * *

**So there you have it. Nightmare Apocalypse has officially ended. Here. *offers tissues* if my predictions are right, you will need them... ;)**

**I'm so sad it is over! This story makes a part of me now, and finishing it hurts my heart! But now I have other stories to look forward to, so once again I'll remind you all of the poll on my profile.**

**I promised I would make pasta for everyone once this was finished, so here you are! *Gives pasta to everybody* Pastaaa!**

**I would like to thank you ALL for reading this story up until the end. It was so much fun for me to write, knowing people enjoyed it! I thank all of you readers, all of you reviewers, followers and 'favouriters'! Also all those reviewers who didn't log in and I couldn't answer personally, thank you! (Few examples: Reader, Guest, Random person, Notgoingtologin, etc. etc.) Again, THANK YOU. I LOVE YOU ALL. :3**

**...I don't know what else I could say. Honestly. Except maybe again that I LOVE YOU ALL and that I hope you will see me for my next stories! (Seeing as most people voted for the mafia fanfic, I'll have to do some research on the subject... wth! XD)  
Thanks again! Ciao, everybody! Until next time!**


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